Parent-guided home skin care for infants via a WeChat platform: a study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled...

Diaper dermatitis and eczema are common skin conditions that affect infants with a high incidence rate. The prevention and management of these conditions largely depend on parents' adherence to appropriate home skin care practices, with the effectiveness of these practices closely linked to their accurate and consistent implementation. WeChat, a widely used messaging platform in China, has demonstrated potential in promoting health awareness and self-management strategies. We have developed a WeChat-based parent-guided home skin care scheme for infants, specifically designed to assist parents in managing the skin care of newborns. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of parent-guided home skin care administered via the WeChat platform in preventing diaper dermatitis and eczema in infants aged 0-6 months, using a clustered randomized controlled trial design.

This study will be carried out as a cluster randomized controlled trial in the maternity wards of eight hospitals across China. The randomization sequence will be generated by an independent statistical team using specialized software, allocating each center to either the intervention or control group. Infants born in the participating maternity wards between August 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024, whose parents provide voluntary consent, will be included in the study. The exclusion criteria include newborns who require hospitalization immediately following birth, infants diagnosed with congenital skin disorders, and newborns whose mothers have been diagnosed with a mental illness that compromises their ability to provide care or are suffering from a serious illness necessitating hospitalization. The primary outcome of this study is the incidence of diaper dermatitis in 1-month-old infants. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of diaper dermatitis and eczema at 3 and 6 months of age, the frequency of hospital visits due to skin issues, and the assessment of home skin care knowledge.

The findings from this study may offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of digital health interventions in guiding parents, particularly through the WeChat platform. These interventions may enhance infant skin care practices and reduce the incidence of common skin conditions during early infancy.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06544096. Registered on June 7, 2024.