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Effect of less frequent bathing on premature infant skin

Dolores Quinn1, Nancy Newton, Robert Piecuch

  • 1University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center, 505 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0210, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. doloresquinn@earthlink.net

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN
|November 12, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Bathing premature infants every fourth day is safe and does not significantly alter skin flora compared to bathing every other day. This finding supports less frequent bathing protocols in neonatal intensive care units.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Nursing

Background:

  • Premature infants have delicate skin and are susceptible to infections.
  • Current bathing practices in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) vary, with implications for skin health and microbial colonization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of less frequent bathing schedules on the skin flora of premature infants.
  • To compare the safety and microbial effects of bathing every other day versus every fourth day.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized clinical trial was conducted in a Level IV NICU.
  • Fifty-three premature infants (gestational age < 37 weeks) were randomized to receive baths every other day (control) or every fourth day (intervention).
  • Skin flora type and colony counts were assessed weekly; statistical analysis used repeated-measures ANOVA.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences were found in skin flora type or colony count between the two bathing groups.
  • There was no significant effect of time or interaction between group and time on skin flora.
  • No infant developed an infection related to the bathing protocol.

Conclusions:

  • Bathing premature infants every fourth day is a safe practice.
  • Less frequent bathing does not adversely affect the skin's microbial environment in this population.
Abstract

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