Effect of Chlorhexidine Cleansing on Skin Flora of Newborns in Nepal

Studies in Malawi, Egypt, and Nepal suggest that neonatal skin cleansing with chlorhexidine solutions may reduce the risk of infection and mortality. Cleansing with 0.25% chlorhexidine in Nepal resulted in a 28% reduction in mortality among low birth weight infants, while there was no impact on infants of normal weight. The mechanism of action for this observed benefit is not clear. Chlorhexidine may remove pathogens from the skin of the newborn and/or prevent exposure to pathogens that may otherwise cause infection and lead to sepsis. The benefit of chlorhexidine cleansing may be extended with higher concentrations of chlorhexidine.

Infants born at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Katmandu, Nepal will be randomized to skin cleansing with chlorhexidine at one of three concentrations (0.25%, 0.50%, 1.00%). Skin swabs will be collected before wiping, and two and twenty-four hours after wiping in order to compare levels of bacteria on the skin across the treatment groups. A small quantity of blood will be collected at 24 hours after wiping to determine the potential for absorption of chlorhexidine