ReviewBMC public health2013
Emollient therapy for preterm newborn infants--evidence from the developing world.
Review in BMC public health, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 34 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Emollient Therapy In Preterm & Low Birth Weight Neonates: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Emollient Therapy for Improved Survival and Growth of Very Low Birth Weight Infants in Zimbabwe
Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of topical emollient oil application on weight of preterm newborns: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Topical emollient for preventing infection in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Skin care interventions in infants for preventing eczema and food allergy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Interventions to reduce preterm birth and stillbirth, and improve outcomes for babies born preterm in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review.Journal of global health · 2021Pooled it
- Topical application of coconut oil to the skin of preterm infants: a systematic review.European journal of pediatrics · 2019Pooled it
- Topical emollient for preventing infection in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Impact of topical applications of sunflower seed oil on neonatal mortality and morbidity in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-randomised trial.BMJ global health · 2024Trial
- Skin-Microbiome Assembly in Preterm Infants during the First Three Weeks of Life and Impact of Topical Coconut Oil Application.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Trial
- Effects of emollient therapy with sunflower seed oil on neonatal growth and morbidity in Uttar Pradesh, India: a cluster-randomized, open-label, controlled trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2022Trial
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of implementing an integrated neonatal care kit to reduce neonatal infection in rural Pakistan.BMJ open · 2022Trial
- Effect of sunflower seed oil emollient therapy on newborn infant survival in Uttar Pradesh, India: A community-based, cluster randomized, open-label controlled trial.PLoS medicine · 2021Trial
- Effect of topical applications of sunflower seed oil on systemic fatty acid levels in under-two children under rehabilitation for severe acute malnutrition in Bangladesh: a randomized controlled trial.Nutrition journal · 2021Trial
- Topical emollient therapy with sunflower seed oil alters the skin microbiota of young children with severe acute malnutrition in Bangladesh: A randomised, controlled study.Journal of global health · 2021Trial
- Topical emollient therapy in the management of severe acute malnutrition in children under two: A randomized controlled clinical trial in Bangladesh.Journal of global health · 2020Trial
- Development and Implementation of Liposomal Encapsulated Micronutrient Fortified Body Oil Intervention for Infant Massage: An Innovative Concept to Prevent Micronutrient Deficiencies in Children.Frontiers in public health · 2020Trial
- Effect of provision of an integrated neonatal survival kit and early cognitive stimulation package by community health workers on developmental outcomes of infants in Kwale County, Kenya: study protocol for a cluster randomized trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2016Trial
- Promising effects of topical sunflower seed oil, rich in linoleic acid, in infants with severe acute malnutrition.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- The state of infant massage use in neonatal intensive care units.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Article
- Skin Care Supports Overall Well-Being.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionApplication of emollients is a widespread traditional newborn care practice in many low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and may have the potential to decrease infection and consequent mortality in preterm neonates.
methodsWe systematically reviewed literature published up to December 2012 to identify studies describing the effectiveness of emollient therapy. We used a standardized abstraction and grading format to estimate the effect of emollient therapy by applying the standard Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) rules.
resultsWe included seven studies and one unpublished trial in this review. Topical emollient therapy significantly reduced neonatal mortality by 27% (RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.94) and hospital acquired infection by 50% (RR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.71). There were significant increases in weight (g) (MD: 98.04, 95% CI: 42.64, 153.45) and weight gain (g/kg/day) (MD: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.79, 2.36), whereas the impacts were non-significant for length and head circumference.
conclusionEmollient therapy is associated with improved weight gain, reduced risk of infection and associated newborn mortality in preterm neonates and is a potentially promising intervention for use in low resource settings. Large scale effectiveness trials are required to further assess the impact of this intervention.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.