Nursery World - Study finds moisturiser does not prevent eczema in newborns

Childhood eczema cannot be prevented by daily moisturiser use, according to new research.

Researchers said they were 'surprised' by the findings and that 'the goal of preventing eczema from developing in the first place remains elusive'

Despite recommendations by many healthcare workers to use moisturisers to prevent eczema in newborn babies, the study found no evidence that daily use in the first year of life could prevent the skin problem.

The Barrier Enhancement for Eczema Prevention study (BEEP), by researchers from the University of Nottingham, with contributions from Imperial College London and the Universities of Bristol, Dundee, East Anglia and Sheffield, looked at 1,394 newborn babies who were born to families with eczema, asthma or hayfever

Parents of one group of babies were advised to apply moisturiser all over their baby every day until their first birthday. The other group was asked not to use moisturiser, while both groups were given general skin care guidance.

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