Items for assessment of infant skin problems: A literature review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to review previous studies on infant skin problems and to summarize 1) the types of skin problems, 2) body area observed depends on the skin problem, and 3) the method of scoring for severity of skin problems. MethodA search was conducted on PubMed for literature related to infant skin problems in August 2017. Among the 429 papers identified, 13 were included in this review. ResultThere were nine papers on diaper dermatitis, one on infant eczema, and three on seborrheic dermatitis. Four papers about diaper dermatitis used scales that were developed or used in previous studies, including the diaper rash and erythema scoring scale, Neonatal Skin Condition Score (NSCS), and Diaper Rash Severity Scale. Only the NSCS was validated. Although, erythema was assessed in all papers about diaper dermatitis, most of the types of skin problems were different among papers.Dryness, scaling, papules, and erythema were assessed in the literature on infant eczema, whereas erythema, scaling, and crusting were assessed in the literature about seborrheic dermatitis. ConclusionThere was not the validated scale which was specialized the one skin problem. Also, the skin conditions related to each skin problem were different. Therefore, along with the scales for assessing the skin conditions of the entire body, the scales specialized for each skin problem or body area that have been examined for reliability and validity are preferable.

Development and validation of an infant facial skin assessment tool: a prospective observational study

“…As erythema and purpura could not be distinguished in the photographs, they were extracted as redness. The previous review also extracted dryness and desquamation, papules, and erythema as symptoms of infantile eczema, and erythema, dryness and desquamation, and scaling as symptoms of seborrheic eczema [ 3 ]. Thus, the draft of the assessment tool included erythema, papules, dryness, and yellow scaling, as these items were matched between the results of the qualitative sketch and the results of a previous review.…”

“…The review searched 429 articles and summarized the observational items of two articles on facial skin problems in infants that met the inclusion criteria. The results have already been submitted [ 3 ].…”

“…One solution to the above issues is to provide a visual tool for caregivers to determine the severity of their infants’ facial skin condition easily based on the scores of the tool, whether medical treatment is needed, or whether the cure period would be longer. However, a previous review revealed that existing tools do not focus on facial skin conditions; some scales focus on diaper rash and the skin condition of the whole body [ 3 ]. Thus, there is a need to develop a new assessment tool specific to infant eczema on the face and designed for caregiver use.…”