Prevalence and risk factors for skin problems among newborns

Abstract

Purpose

Many newborns often have skin problems resulting in parents generally becoming anxious regarding these conditions. However, the risk factors for skin problems among newborns are not well understood. This study aims to determine the prevalence and such risk factors, especially those that may be potentially associated with diaper dermatitis, seborrheic eczema, and prickly heat among newborns.

Methods

This study combined data from two different researches. The first was an observational study conducted among parents, whose newborns were delivered in a single hospital between May and July 2012. The other was an interventional study related to skincare, which was conducted among parents and their newborns, who were born between March 2014 and February 2015. We analyzed the data of 325 parents. Both researches were conducted on parents of 1-month-old infants, using a self-administered questionnaire. The questions included those related to the presence of skin problems in the newborns that were observed by their parents, including diaper dermatitis, seborrheic eczema, and prickly heat. In addition, data from medical records, including the newborn's sex, family history of atopic dermatitis, gestational age, birth weight, and external factors, which could lead to skin disorders like, season at birth, and frequency of stool, were included. The association between each skin problems (diaper dermatitis, seborrheic eczema, prickly heat) and characteristics of neonates was assessed using multiple logistic regression.

Results

The prevalence of skin problems was 65.5% (n=213), of the skin problems, diaper dermatitis was 33.5% (n=109), seborrheic eczema was 32.3% (n=105), prickly heat was 16.9% (n=55).

The risk factors for diaper dermatitis in newborns were determined as high frequency of stool (AOR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.09–1.30) and male sex (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.04–2.77). The risk factor for seborrheic eczema was a long gestational age (AOR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.08). Lastly, newborns who were born during spring (AOR=9.34, 95% CI: 1.17–74.90) and summer (AOR=18.97, 95% CI: 2.44–147.44) were at higher risk of prickly heat than those born in winter. In addition, weight gain in the first month after birth was also a risk factor of prickly heat (AOR=1.03, 95%Cl: 1.00–1.06).

Conclusion

We identified the risk factors for skin problems among newborns. These results can help in developing guidance for skincare, which needs to be individualized, depending on the risk factors.