Applying olive or sunflower oil to moisturize the skin of newborn babies is a common practice among midwives, but a new study in the United Kingdom revealed that doing so can actually cause damage to the skin's natural defenses and lead to health problems.

When olive or sunflower oil is applied to the skin of babies, the barrier that blocks infections and allergens, and prevents water loss becomes weakened, scientists said.

Led by experts at the University of Manchester, the team tested the effects of using olive or sunflower oil to newborn babies' skin. Their findings are featured in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica.

For the study, midwives at Saint Mary's Hospital examined 115 newborn babies and grouped them into three: the first group was given olive oil, the second group was given sunflower oil, and the last group was not given any.

During a 28-day trial, the babies in the oil groups were treated with a few drops of oil on their skin twice a day. Researchers investigated the lipid lamellae structure in the babies' skin and found that in both oil groups, the development of the skin barrier function was slower in comparison to that of the no oil group.

Lead researcher Alison Cooke described the lipid lamellae as the mortar that holds together the brick wall of cells. If the lipid lamellae are underdeveloped, the cracks that appear will allow water loss and foreign bodies will be able to pass through the skin.

Cooke said oil prevents the rapid development of the lipid lamellae, and this could be traced to the development of skin conditions such as eczema.

The skin of babies who received olive or sunflower oil were better hydrated than those of babies who did not receive any, but researchers said this was not enough benefit to outweigh potential harm, especially because the implications of the oils' effects are not fully understood.

There is no current national guidance on neonatal skincare in the UK, but the Manchester researchers do not recommend the use of either olive or sunflower oil on the skin of babies.

"We need to do more research on this issue with different oils and also study possible links to eczema, but what is clear is that the current advice given to parents is not based on any evidence and until this is forthcoming the use of these two oils on new born baby skin should be avoided," said Cooke.

Photo : Jim Hammer | Flickr