A semipermeable skin dressing for extremely low birth weight infants.

Skin breakdown and high fluid requirements are common problems in extremely low birth weight infants that may be reduced by application of a semipermeable skin dressing (SPD). An SPD was applied to 39 study infants who weighed < 1000 gm (control subjects, n = 37) to determine whether it would protect the skin and decrease fluid requirements. Randomization occurred before 12 hours of life and SPD was applied to the chest, abdomen, and back. Sixty-one infants survived the first 14 days. Skin remained nonerythematous, intact, and undamaged under the dressing, whereas uncovered skin sustained significant breakdown in both groups. No significant differences were found in fluid or electrolyte status. Although the SPD did not affect fluid requirements, the significant improvement in skin integrity under the SPD may justify its use in premature infants with delicate skin.