Early Emollient Use Reduces Dermatitis in At-Risk Infants
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Recent study findings published in Allergy suggest that twice-daily application of emollients within the first 8 weeks of life significantly reduces the cumulative incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) among infants at high risk for the condition, at least within the first year of life. The single-center STOP-AD clinical trial recruited term infants within 4 days of birth who were at high risk for AD, as determined on the basis of a parent-reported history of the disease or asthma or allergic rhinitis. Infants were randomly assigned to undergo either a standard skin care routine (control group; n = 160) or twice-daily emollient application for the first 8 weeks of life (intervention group; n = 161).
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@anindita The investigators of the BASELINE study found that skin barrier function, as measured by trans-epidermal water loss, increased from birth to 8 weeks but then became stable at 6 months. These observations suggest that the period during early infancy could be a critical window in which to protect the skin barrier of infants at risk for AD