A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of barrier preparations in the prevention and treatment of nappy dermatitis in infants and preschool children of nappy age

Review question/objective What is the most effective barrier preparation in the prevention and treatment of nappy dermatitis in infants and preschool children of nappy age? Specific questions to be answered are: 1. Which barrier preparation is the most effective for preventing and/or treating nappy dermatitis? 2. Which barrier preparation is the most effective for preventing or treating nappy dermatitis in infants and preschool children with: Hirschsprungs Disease Anorectal Malformations And ostomy takedowns? Inclusion criteria Types of participants Infants 0-2 years of age. Preschool children 2-5 years who wear nappies. Infants and preschool children who have Hirschsprungs, Anorectal malformations, or Ostomy takedowns who wear nappies. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest Soap and water vs Zinc & castor oil cream vs Zinc oxide paste vs Petroleum jelly (vaseline) vs Lanolin vs Bepanthen Ointment (Roche Consumer Health) vs Securecare (Smith and Nephew) vs Cavilon (3M) vs Orabase ointment Types of outcomes Prevention of nappy dermatitis. Number of infants with a decrease in the severity of nappy dermatitis. The severity of the rash being assessed by the following scale: Severe -skin breakdown Mild/moderate -presence of any rash Absent -no rash Reduction in the duration of nappy dermatitis (days).