Does evidence suggest that the use of barrier enhancing emollient is beneficial in the care of preterm neonates?

Nosocomial infection is a frequent and serious complication of preterm infants. Preterm infants less than 34 weeks’ gestation have a poorly developed epidermal barrier compared to term infants that leads to two major effects: susceptibility to nosocomial infection and high transepidermal water loss. This review was undertaken to determine whether topical emollients improve epidermal barrier function and reduce the risk of infection in preterm neonates.