Feasibility Study of Barrier Enhancement for Eczema Prevention

Feasibility Study of Barrier Enhancement for Eczema Prevention (BEEP)

The purpose of this protocol is to determine the feasibility of doing larger follow-up studies examining whether emollients used from birth can prevent eczema in high-risk babies and to help investigators find out if emollients (moisturizing skin creams) used from birth can prevent eczema in high-risk babies. Hypothesis: Enhancing the skin barrier from birth using emollients will prevent or delay the onset of eczema, especially in predisposed infants.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participant must have a parent or sibling with a history of at least one of the following: eczema, allergic rhinitis or asthma
2. Infant in overall good health
3. Mother between the ages of 16 and 45 years of age at delivery; infant from birth thru 6 months of age
4. Capable of giving informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Preterm birth defined as birth prior to 37 weeks gestation
2. Major congenital anomaly
3. Hydrops fetalis
4. Significant dermatitis at birth not including seborrheic dermatitis ("cradle cap")
5. Any immunodeficiency disorder or severe genetic skin disorder
6. Any other serious condition that would make the use of emollients inadvisable
7. Any other major medical problems that the investigator deems may increase the risk of adverse events with the intervention