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Topical application of certain natural oils
may improve skin barrier function and result in a number of potential
health benefits, particularly among preterm infants(1). The practice may
also have detrimental effects, however, including systemic toxicity
following ingestion or topical application of mustard oil which has been
contaminated during processing with oil from seeds of the weed Argemone
mexicana(2). Depending on the oil’s composition and mode of application,
toxic effects on the skin barrier may also occur, as described recently
following a single application of mustard oil(3). Little information is
available in the literature detailing the practice of oil massage,
despite its recognition as a routine domiciliary newborn care practice,
particularly in the Indian subcontinent.
We conducted a survey of neonatal oil massage
practices in Bangladesh, and found that 96% of 352 caregivers practiced
oil massage, irrespective of socioeconomic status and place of
residence. Mustard oil and olive oil were used most commonly (alone or
in combination in 95% and 11% of cases, respectively), although olive
oil was used primarily by families of higher socioeconomic status. In
80% of cases, oil massage was started within 4 days of birth and
practiced 2-3 times daily over the entire body throughout the neonatal
period.
More than 3 million term and preterm infants receive
daily oil massage each year in Bangladesh alone; the numbers in India
would be much greater. Given the nearly universal use of oil massage and
the extent of exposure to topical oils in the Indian subcontinent,
further research is warranted to optimize the beneficial effects while
minimizing potential risks of this important traditional practice.
Gary L. Darmstadt,
Samir K. Saha*,
From the Department of International Health,
Bloomberg School of Public Health,
The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions,
Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA and
*Department of Microbiology,
Dhaka Shishu Hospital,
Bangladesh Institute of Child Health,
Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.
E-mail:
[email protected]
1. Darmstadt GL, Dinulos JG. Neonatal skin care.
Pediatr Clin N Am 2000; 47: 757-782.
2. Sood NN, Sachdev MS, Mohan M, Gupta SK, Sachdev
HPS. Epidemic dropsy following transcutaneous absorption of Argemone
mexicana oil. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1985; 79: 510-521.
3. Darmastadt GL, Mao-Qiang M, Chi E, Saha SK, Ziboh VA, Black RE,
et al. Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible
implications for neonatal health in developing countries. Acta Pediatr
2002; 91: 1-9.
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