Moisturising newborns prevents allergies

Regular lotion in the first few weeks of life helps keep a baby's immune system intact

Applying moisturiser to a newborn babys skin could help prevent eczema and even food allergies in later life, possibly offering a cheap and easy way to combat a growing global problem, a Japanese institute said Friday.

A small-scale study carried out by researchers at the Tokyo-based National Center for Child Health and Development suggests regular lotion in the first few weeks of life helps keep a babys immune system intact.

Scientists divided 118 newborns into two groups of 59 each, applying an emollient a glycerine-based over-the-counter moisturiser to one group of babies for 32 weeks and no treatment to the other group.

As a result, 19 in the intervention group developed atopic dermatitis eczema against 28 in the control group.

The study, which the researchers said was a global first, tentatively shows moisturising reduces the risk of developing eczema 30 percent.

The institute said in a release that emollient prevents skin from drying out and cracking, which exposes immune cells and allows irritants to get in.

This, in turn, boosts the bodys production of antibodies to combat the irritant, resulting in over-production.

It is this over-production of antibodies that produces the symptoms of an allergy.

The institute said babies suffering from eczema tend to display strong reactions to egg white, and thus can go on to be allergic to eggs in later life or to developing other problems such as asthma or sinus infections.

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Moisturising newborns prevents allergies