Baby wipes are found to be safe and effective in maintaining skin integrity when compared to the use of water alone. 

The purpose of a new study published in Pediatrics and Neonatology was to identify any differences in the incidence of irritant diaper dermatitis (IDD) in infants assigned to three different brands of wipes for neonates—containing varying numbers of ingredients.

This was a prospective experimental study that recruited women during the prenatal period, who were randomly assigned to receive one of three brands of wipe for use during the first eight weeks following childbirth. All participants used the same nappies. 

Overall, 722 eligible babies completed the full 8-week duration of the study. Of these, 24.6% had IDD at some point during the study. It was observed that mothers using the brand with fewest ingredients reported fewer days of clinically significant nappy rash than those using other brands. Meanwhile, severe IDD (grades 4 and 5) was rare (2.4%).

The results indicated that sensitive formula baby wipes are safe when used in cleansing babies from birth to eight weeks during nappy changes. The brand with fewest ingredients had significantly fewer days of clinically significant IDD. 

Source: Pediatrics and Neonatology. 2021 Mar;62(2):138-145.doi: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2020.10.003.