Effects of Emollient Use on the Developing Infant Skin Microbiome

Purpose: Microbial colonization of skin begins with the first significant exposure at birth. Our previous work has demonstrated that although the skin microbiome evolves to an infant skin-like profile days after birth, the microbial community continues to evolve throughout a longer period of infancy. Establishment of a healthy skin microbiome is essential to limiting access to harmful/infectious microbes and may play a role in immune modulation. Microbial dysbiosis associated atopic dermatitis (AD) can impact management of this inflammatory skin …