The objective of a new study published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition was to determine whether the emollient treatments improved neurodevelopmental outcomes during early childhood.

This was a observational cohort study that enrolled 497 infants who were randomized to receive SSO, a mineral oil ointment, or neither—through the neonatal period or until hospital discharge.

Overall, 123 children completed at least one follow-up visit. Lowess graphs suggested that lower proportions of children who received massage with either SSO or the mineral oil ointment had neurodevelopmental delays than control infants in a composite outcome of disabilities. Additionally, infants receiving SSO showed a significant protective effect on the development of fine motor skills. Meanwhile, in the mineral oil ointment group, significantly lower disability rates were noted – in 23.6% compared to the control 55.2%.

From the results, it was inferred that emollient massage of very preterm, hospitalized newborn infants improved some child neurodevelopmental outcomes over the first two years of follow-up. 

Source: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 2021; 40: 24.doi: 10.1186/s41043-021-00248-9