Abstract
Objective
The degree of neonatal exposure to potentially sensitizing agents on neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and the process by which personal care products are selected for use in the NICU are poorly documented.
Study design
We evaluated personal care products used in three NICUs for potentially sensitizing agents. We interviewed NICU staff to analyze how products are selected and approved for use.
Results
Twenty-four personal care products were evaluated. 75% contained one or more potential contact allergen, with fragrances being most common. Staff preference, brand loyalty, cost, and small product size were often considered when approving NICU products.
Conclusions
The prevalence of potentially sensitizing agents in the products indicates a need for improvement in the evaluation and acquisition process of over-the-counter products used for neonatal skin care. The involvement of dermatology in this process may be beneficial.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the NICUs of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, and Oregon Health & Sciences University for contributing their time and information. There were no sources of sponsorship or material requiring acknowledgement for this manuscript.
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JR was a major contributor to the literature review and writing of the manuscript and contributed significantly to the conceptual analysis and editing of the manuscript. NK contributed significantly to the literature analysis and oversight of the manuscript writing process. KS contributed significantly to the literature analysis and oversight of the manuscript writing process. IF contributed significantly to the literature analysis and oversight of the manuscript writing process. NB performed the data collection and contributed majorly to the study concept, design, editing and oversight of the manuscript.
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Raffi, J., Kittler, N., Schwarzenberger, K. et al. Pediatric contact allergens in the neonatal intensive care unit. J Perinatol 40, 1554–1559 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-00769-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-020-00769-x