Effect of Coconut Oil Application in Reducing Water Loss From Skin of Premature Babies in First Week of Life (TEWL) (TopOilTewl)

All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL)

Treatments: Other: Coconut oil application; Other: No oil application

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01364948

A-28/Dec 2005

Details and patient eligibility

About

The skin of newborn infants is immature and ineffective as a barrier. Preterm skin exhibits even more vulnerability to the environment due to poor self regulatory heat mechanisms, paucity of fatty tissue and its thinness. Most preterm babies lose up to 13% of their weight as water loss from their skin during the first week of life. Many strategies have been utilized by neonatologists to decrease this water loss. Oil application on the skin can act as a non permeable barrier and can help in reducing water loss from the skin. Edible coconut oil, often used for traditional massage of babies by Indian communities, is culturally acceptable and Hence the investigators decided to undertake this study to objectively assess the reduction in water loss from skin after oil application

Enrollment: 74 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 168 hours old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

All preterm babies born at the study center with birth weight < 1500gms were eligible for inclusion in the study.

Exclusion criteria

1. Babies with birth weight less than 750 gms at birth
2. Babies with major congenital malformations.
3. Babies with severe asphyxia, hydrops and shock.
4. Babies with congenital diseases of skin associated with skin breach or denudation of skin precluding oil application
5. Babies with preexisting skin infection such as multiple furuncles (2 or more skin areas - each limb, head, chest, abdomen and back are the individual areas that will be taken as one area

Trial design

74 participants in 2 patient groups

Coconut oil application

Experimental group

Description:

The oil (coconut oil) was applied by the trained nurse to the entire body surface of infant except the face two times a day starting at 12 hrs of life. Four ml of coconut oil was applied using both hands of the caregiver in four strokes. First stroke was from the clavicles over the chest and abdomen till the groin, second from the front of thighs over the knee and leg upto the sole, the third one from the shoulders over the arm and forearm till the palm continuing medially over the forearm and arm till the axilla and the final stroke was used for the back, starting from the upper back, continuing over the back of the thighs till the heel. Just prior to the first application, and thereafter prior to the subsequent applications the TEWL was recorded using the portable closed chamber evaporimeter. The oil application was continued twice daily (every 12 hrs at the same time as the hour of birth e.g. 11 am and 11pm) till the completion of the seventh day (168 hrs of life).

Treatment:

Other: Coconut oil application

No Oil Application

No Intervention group

Description:

Babies in this group were not subjected to oil application. TEWL measurement was recorded every 12 hrs for the first week of life, at the same time as the hour of birth.

Treatment:

Other: No oil application