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Preterm neonates are at increased risk for infection, transepidermal water loss, and other complications due to immature functioning of the skin barrier. To date, appropriate skin therapy for premature infants has not been clearly defined.
Investigators performed a prospective, randomized, controlled, unblinded, clinical trial of topical emollients in hospitalized Bangladeshi newborns younger than 72 hours with estimated gestational ages ≤33 weeks. Infants with major illness, anomalies, or poor prospects for immediate survival (89%) were excluded. The 497 included infants received daily topical applications of sunflower seed oil (SSO) or Aquaphor ointment. A control group (181 patients) received neither emollient nor massage. Neonatal mortal…