Veysizadeh M, Aghaei P, Eftekhari K, Ashournia P, Malekiantaghi A, Shafiei A, et al.
Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Date of publication 2025 Nov 6;volume ():.
1. Breastfeed Med. 2025 Nov 6. doi: 10.1177/15568253251393704. Online ahead of
print.
Topical Breast Milk plus Zinc Oxide Versus Zinc Oxide Alone for Diaper Rash in
Infants Under 1 Year: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Veysizadeh M(1), Aghaei P(1), Eftekhari K(2), Ashournia P(3), Malekiantaghi
A(4), Shafiei A(3).
Author information:
(1)Department of Pediatrics, Bahrami Children's Hospital, School of Medicine,
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(2)Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Division of
Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatric, Bahrami Children Hospital, Tehran
University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(3)Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Pediatrics,
Bahrami Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical
Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
(4)Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Bahrami Children's
Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,
Iran.
Background: Diaper dermatitis (DD) is a common inflammatory skin condition in
infants, typically managed with supportive care and anti-inflammatory
treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical breast milk
combined with zinc oxide versus zinc oxide alone in treating DD in infants.
Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted at Bahrami Children's
Hospital from 2022 to 2023. Forty-two infants with clinically diagnosed DD were
randomly assigned to two groups: the control group received 25% zinc oxide
ointment, while the case group received 25% zinc oxide combined with topical
breast milk. Both treatments were applied for 7 consecutive days. The severity
of DD was assessed daily using the Buckley Diaper Dermatitis Severity Scale, and
lesion improvement was documented. Results: The mean age of the infants was 2.93
± 7.41 months, and 52.4% were male. No significant differences were observed
between the two groups in baseline characteristics. Complete and partial
recovery rates in the case group were 61.9% and 38.1%, respectively, compared to
66.6% and 19.1% in the control group. Notably, no non-responders were found in
the case group, while 14.3% in the control group showed no response to
treatment. The case group experienced faster lesion resolution (2.52 ± 0.67 days
vs. 3.28 ± 1.14 days, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Topical breast milk combined with
zinc oxide may reduce recovery time in treating diaper dermatitis. This approach
is safe, cost-effective, and accessible. Larger randomized trials are needed to
confirm these results and establish standardized treatment protocols.
DOI: 10.1177/15568253251393704
PMID: 41204732
