London researchers have launched the first ever study to determine how often parents should bathe their newborn babies to prevent them from developing eczema.
Eczema is the most common skin disease and affects nearly one in five young children, causing the skin to become red, dry, itchy, sore and cracked.
The condition can have a damaging effect on quality of life by causing distress, a lack of sleep and an increased risk of bacterial infection through intense scratching.
Genetic causes have previously been linked to an increased risk of having eczema, but scientists believe that environmental factors are also likely to play a major role.
There is debate among scientists over whether frequently bathing babies increases or reduces the risk of eczema. Some researchers claim that infrequent bathing may be better because too much washing can dry out the skin, but others say that maintaining a healthy skin barrier could help slash the risk of developing the condition.
The trial at City St George’s, University of London will recruit women who are due to give birth before December 31 this year.
They will be randomly allocated into one of two groups: to either bathe their baby as often as they wish or to follow new baby bathing guidance.
Using a mobile phone app, both groups will log every time they bathe their baby for the first six months.
Each month they will also complete a quick questionnaire on their baby’s skin health.
At the end of the study when their baby is six months old, they will have an eczema assessment by a doctor at St George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south west London.
Dr Michael Perkin, lead researcher and Reader in Clinical Epidemiology from the Population Health Research Institute at City St George’s, said: “It’s a very challenging time for parents when a baby develops eczema. We believe it’s possible that simple changes to how we bathe our newborn babies could help prevent eczema.
“We hope that our trial will unveil the optimal bathing frequency for babies so we can give families better guidance in the future.”
The researchers hope that the trial will provide vital information to support a larger, nationwide clinical trial.
