Developmental alterations of physical properties and components of neonatal-infantile stratum corneum of upper thighs and diaper-covered buttocks during the 1st year of life

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Abstract

Background

Although physical properties of neonatal-infantile stratum corneum (SC) change drastically after birth, precise developmental alterations of specific sites have not been fully elucidated.

Objective

To determine the longitudinal alterations of neonatal-infantile SC functions and components of upper thighs and diaper-covered buttocks during the first year of life. The data were compared with those of adults.

Methods

Nineteen full-term neonates and their mothers were subjected to the measurements. Skin hydration, water sorption/retention capacity, TEWL were measured. Superficial SC analyses for NMF, ester binding sebum, and free fatty acids were performed by ATR-FTIR spectrometer. Total amount of ceramides (CERs) and CER subclasses were analyzed by NPLC-ESI-MS.

Results

SC hydration of neonatal thighs was lower than that of their mothers, which rapidly increased during the 1st month. Skin hydration of neonatal buttocks was similar to that of their mothers. This also rapidly increased during the 1st month. The neonatal TEWL was less than those of their mothers indicating more efficient barrier function at both sites, which significantly increased during the 1st year development. This was mostly correlated decreased in the ω-hydroxy fatty acid-esterified CERs. Superficial ester-binding sebum content of neonates was similar to that of their mothers, which significantly decreased during the measurement; the decrease was more marked on buttocks. Neither NMF nor FFA of the superficial SC showed significant alteration during the 1-year development.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that physical functions and components of neonatal-infantile SC show considerable alterations between diaper-covered buttocks and upper thighs during the 1st year development.

Introduction

The physical properties of neonatal-infantile skin drastically change after birth. Previous reports indicate that full-term neonates already show functionally mature SC at birth [1], and immature SC of preterm neonates become mature during the 1st month after birth [2], [3]. Nevertheless, few reports exist, which show location-specific alterations during development specifically dermatitis-prone diaper-covered areas [4], [5] We analyzed physical properties and various components of SC of 19 full-term neonates longitudinally during the 1st year of life and compared with those of their mothers. The analyzed areas were upper thighs and diaper-covered buttocks. Alterations of physical properties and various components including total CERs and CER subtypes were also analyzed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report clarifying the physical properties and components of SC longitudinally at these specific locations using the same infants during the 1st year of development. Detailed analyses of infantile SC function of arms [3–12 months] have been described by Nikolovski et al. [6].

Section snippets

Subjects and study design

Signed informed consents were obtained from 19 mothers of babies born at Asahikawa Medical University Hospital. The measurements were performed daily between the 3rd and 7th day, and then at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 month, respectively. All children and their mothers were subjected to the measurements described below consecutively for 6 times.

Biophysical measurements were performed in a climate-controlled room and the babies were acclimated at temperature of 25 °C and relative air humidity of 40% for 20 

Skin hydration and water holding capacity of upper inner thighs

The water content of upper inner thighs of full-term neonates was lower than that of their mothers, which rapidly increased during the 1st month after birth, and remained relatively constant thereafter (Fig. 1A). Water holding capacity of neonatal thighs determined by Sorption-Desorption Test (SDT) was higher than that of their mothers, which rapidly decreased during the 1st month and remained relatively constant thereafter (Fig. 1B). The residual water content following the SDT also decreased

Discussion

In the present study we analyzed the physical properties and components of neonatal-infantile SC of upper thighs and diaper-covered buttocks longitudinally using the same infants during the 1st year of development; these values were compared with those of their mothers. Visscher et al. [4] reported that the physical properties of diaper region is indistinguishable from non-diapered region at birth but exhibited differential behavior over the first 14 days, showing higher pH and hydration in the

Funding source

This study was supported in part by Kao Corporation, Japan, and a grant 21390323 from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ms. Haruko Toyoshima for helping our measurement.

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