The use of Oil in Baby SkincaRE (OBSeRvE) Pilot Study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The use of Oil in Baby SkincaRE (OBSeRvE) Trial: a pilot, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial, to assess the impact of olive oil and sunflower oil on a term baby’s skin barrier function

• IRAS ID

  120090

• Contact name

  Alison Cooke

• Contact email

  Alison.Cooke@manchester.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  The University of Manchester

• Research summary

  Many health professionals recommend the use of olive oil or sunflower oil to prevent or treat dry skin in newborn term babies. Other health professionals advise parents not to use any oil on their baby’s skin. There has been no research to consider which approach has any immediate or long-term effect on the way a term baby’s skin functions, and the advice given to parents can be conflicting. At present we do not know if any oil is better or worse for a term baby’s skin than no oil. Dry skin is a normal physiological process for newborn term babies, but parents want to treat it. There is also some evidence to suggest that products which are used on newborn skin may have an influence on the development of atopic eczema (synonym atopic dermatitis).
  We are conducting a pilot research study to explore what is the best way to find out whether olive oil, sunflower oil or no oil is best for a term baby’s skin. We will do this by allocating babies taking part in the study randomly to each of three groups to use olive oil, sunflower oil or no oil for 28 days, and then assessing their skin to see if the oil causes any changes. The skin assessments that we will do will not harm the baby. We will carry out the assessments twice; once before the mother and baby leave the hospital after birth and then again after 28 days. This study will help us develop the best study design which can find out which skincare treatment (olive oil, sunflower oil or no oil) is best, and will help to guide future advice for newborn term baby skincare.

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/NW/0512

• Date of REC Opinion

  22 Jul 2013

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion