Surface Electrical Capacitance as a Noninvasive Beside Measure of Epidermal Barrier Maturation in the Newborn Infant

Objective. The classical studies of epidermal barrier function in infants have relied on measurement of transepidermal water loss by evaporimetry. This technique, although valuable, is, in practice, slow, expensive, and susceptible to error because of convective air currents. In this prospective stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 1995-10, Vol.96 (4), p.688-692
Main Authors: Okah, Felix A., Wickett, R. Randall, Pickens, William L., Hoath, Steven B.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Objective. The classical studies of epidermal barrier function in infants have relied on measurement of transepidermal water loss by evaporimetry. This technique, although valuable, is, in practice, slow, expensive, and susceptible to error because of convective air currents. In this prospective study, we evaluated gestation-dependent and postnatal age-dependent changes in epidermal barrier function by measurement of skin surface electrical capacitance (SEC) in 40 newborn infants ranging from 25 to 40 weeks' gestational age. SEC was measured in picofarads with a dermal phase meter. Methodology. The measurements were recorded continuosuly during a 12-second period from the forehead at 12 to 24 hours of life. The baseline (CBL) surface hydration at 1 second and the rate of change of SEC during probe occlusion (CSL) were used as measures of surface hydration and transepidermal water movement, respectively. In the most premature infants (
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.96.4.688