In vivo transepidermal water loss and epidermal occlusive hydration in newborn infants: anatomical region variation.

Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured from the abdomen, buttock, and central forearm in 13 term infants by employing an electrolytic water analyzer (Meeco). The hydration level (HL) at these sites following one hour of occlusion and the resulting post-occlusion TEWL were measured. No apparent difference in TEWL was found between regional sites. The forearm and buttock HL appeared similar, while the abdomen values tended to differ considerably from both. Post-occlusion TEWL appeared significantly higher than normal TEWL. Since the buttock and forearm TEWL reflected similarly structured stratum corneum, future studies on the more accessible forarm may be extended by application to the buttock.