The oil (coconut oil) was applied by the trained nurse to the entire body surface of infant except the face two times a day starting at 12 hrs of life. Four ml of coconut oil was applied using both hands of the caregiver in four strokes. First stroke was from the clavicles over the chest and abdomen till the groin, second from the front of thighs over the knee and leg upto the sole, the third one from the shoulders over the arm and forearm till the palm continuing medially over the forearm and arm till the axilla and the final stroke was used for the back, starting from the upper back, continuing over the back of the thighs till the heel. Just prior to the first application, and thereafter prior to the subsequent applications the TEWL was recorded using the portable closed chamber evaporimeter. The oil application was continued twice daily (every 12 hrs at the same time as the hour of birth e.g. 11 am and 11pm) till the completion of the seventh day (168 hrs of life).

Babies in this group were not subjected to oil application. TEWL measurement was recorded every 12 hrs for the first week of life, at the same time as the hour of birth.

Four ml coconut oil application twice daily for first week

TEWL was measured using evaporimeter(Vapometer, Delfin Technologies limited, Kuopio, Finland) at 12 hours of age and thereafter every 12 hours during the first week of life (168 hrs of life)

The weight of the neonate was recorded at birth and daily during the first week of life. The weight in grams and weight gain in grams/kilogram/day was measured at 40 weeks post conceptional age.