Effect of Chlorhexidine Skin Cleansing on Skin Flora

Effect of Chlorhexidine Skin Cleansing on Skin Flora of Newborn Infants in Bangladesh

Given the potential of skin cleansing with chlorhexidine as a safe, feasible, and cost-effective intervention for reducing neonatal death in developing country settings, this study follows a trial already underway in Nepal to test the impact of a single cleansing of the skin with baby wipes cotaining chlorahexidine.

This study is designed to test the impact of a single cleansing of the skin with 0.25% or 4.0% Chlorhexidine wipes on qualitative and quantitative skin flora and skin condition in newborn infants. The study takes place in the Special Care Nursery at Dhaka Shishu Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Infant admitted to Special Care Nursery at Dhaka Shishu Hospital less than 48 hours chronological age
• parental consent must be obtained

Exclusion Criteria:

• infants being admitted for major surgical procedure which is attended by high rate of infectious complications
• sepsis
• clinically-evident skin infection
• generalized skin disease
• structural defect of the skin involving greater than 5% of the body surface
• with a major congenital anomaly
• with a known immunodeficiency