Diaper dermatitis. Value of vitamin A topically applied.
The role of vitamin A in preventing diaper dermatitis was evaluated in a double-blind, randomized, prospective study in which 114 newborns were enrolled over an 11-month period. Patients in Group A (58 infants) were treated with a cream that contained 1,000 IU/g of vitamin A, whereas patients in Group B (56 infants) were treated with a cream that had the same composition, but it did not contain vitamin A. Each participant returned once every 15 days for six follow-up visits.
For the treatment of napkin dermatitis there is no evidence to support or refute the use of topical vitamin A preparations. For the prevention of napkin dermatitis there is no evidence to suggest that topical vitamin A alters the development of napkin dermatitis. Further RCTs are required to determine whether topical vitamin A is efficacious in treating or preventing napkin dermatitis.