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Parents are putting their children at risk of skin complaints such as eczema, by using natural oils on their little ones.

Babies should not be massaged with oils as they could cause long-term damage to the skin, experts warn, reports Daily Mail.

Experts say parents are putting children at risk of developing eczema and other skin complaints by rubbing them with olive or sunflower oil because they believe the natural products are safe.

Baby massage has become hugely popular among parents who find that gently stroking their child is soothing and helps them bond. It has also been said to help stimulate babies’ brains and improve their digestion.

Researchers from the University of Manchester have found that even natural oils used for baby massage can damage the protective barrier in babies’ fragile skin.

They warned that many other baby skincare products in shops had only passed cosmetic tests and there was no clinical evidence proving they were safe.

Dr Alison Cooke told the Royal College of Midwives conference she was ‘astounded’ when her study showed ‘strong evidence’ oil had an adverse effect on the development of skin barrier. She said: ‘I thought, ‘What about the baby massage classes? They use these oils all the time. What are we going to do?’

The oils break down into fatty acids which damage the skin’s structure, allowing irritants to enter and too much water to escape. This can lead to dryness, cracks and conditions such as eczema.

She added: ‘To avoid harm to babies, until further research is available, those two topical oils – olive oil and sunflower oil – should not be recommended for treatment of dry skin or for baby massage.’

While there was no clear evidence any product was safe, she said dermatologists recommended using 50/50 cream – a mix of liquid and soft paraffin – instead.

For her research, a team followed 115 newborn babies who were divided into three groups. Parents from each group were asked to massage their baby’s leg, arm and stomach daily with either four drops of olive oil, sunflower oil or nothing for 28 days.

The babies’ skin was then analysed and both groups which had been treated with oils showed delayed development of the protective skin barrier. Researchers will now follow the babies to see whether there is a link between this problem and eczema. Babies’ skin is more fragile and permeable than adult skin and it can take up to two years for the barrier to develop fully.

The academics also carried out a separate review of all published studies on baby skincare. They found there was little evidence that any products were beneficial to babies.

Does your little one enjoy massage time?

Share your comments below.

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  • Gosh there seems to be way to many do’s and don’ts at the moment when it comes to children. It is exhusting trying to keep up with what you should be doing and what should be avoided.
    Both my children loved being massaged as children and i used olive oil, neither have skin issues.

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  • Think we have to be careful with all skin products, not only natural products !

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  • Or just use warm water!

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  • They are great products which are used in some hospitals. They can be used for bathing a baby…or an adult as they are soap free and don’t contain harsh chemicals that soaps do.

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  • I use qv or Cetaphil lotion when massaging my little ones.

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  • That sounds scary and makes sense as newborn babies skin is so fragile. I found some bath soaps caused dryness too, as well as some baby moisturisers.

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  • You really need to be careful with natural products. You assume they’re safe to use because they’re natural and it’s not always the case

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  • A very important article. Better take care indeed.
    My daughter used to love baby massages. I used vaseline oil at the time.

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  • Thanks for your article,maybe alot of parent’s just don’t know!

    Reply

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