Blume-Peytavi U, Hauser M, Lünnemann L, Stamatas GN, Kottner J, Garcia Bartels N, et al.
Pediatric dermatology. Date of publication 2014 Jul 1;volume 31(4):413-29.
1. Pediatr Dermatol. 2014 Jul-Aug;31(4):413-29. doi: 10.1111/pde.12348. Epub 2014
May 29.
Prevention of diaper dermatitis in infants--a literature review.
Blume-Peytavi U(1), Hauser M, Lünnemann L, Stamatas GN, Kottner J, Garcia
Bartels N.
Author information:
(1)Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Clinical Research Center for Hair and
Skin Science, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Diaper dermatitis (DD) is one of the most common skin conditions in neonates and
infants, with a peak between the ages of 9 and 12 months. Appropriate skin care
practices that support skin barrier function and protect the buttocks skin from
urine and feces are supposed to be effective in the prevention of DD. Despite
many recommendations for parents and caregivers on proper diaper skin care,
there is no up-to-date synthesis of the available evidence to develop
recommendations for DD prevention practice. Therefore we performed a systematic
literature review on the efficacy of nonmedical skin care practices on the
diapered area of healthy, full-term infants ages 0 to 24 months. We identified
13 studies covering skin care practices such as cleansing, bathing, and
application of topical products. DD prevalence and incidence and physiologic
skin parameters were used as efficacy parameters. The results of this review
indicate that cleansing of the diaper area using baby wipes or water and a
washcloth have comparable effects on diapered skin. Bathing with a liquid baby
cleanser twice weekly seems comparable with water alone. The application of
ointments containing zinc oxide or petrolatum with or without vitamin A seems to
have comparable effects on DD severity. There seems to be no information on
whether single skin care practices such as cleansing, bathing, and application
of topical preparations can prevent DD. High-quality randomized clinical trials
are needed to show the effectiveness of skin care practices for controlling and
preventing DD.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DOI: 10.1111/pde.12348
PMID: 24890321 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
