Neonatal skin: barrier, immunity and infection prevention in the NICU

IF 2.9 3区医学 Q1 PEDIATRICS

Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-25 DOI:10.1016/j.siny.2025.101681

Tobias Strunk , Jakob Steer , Andrew Currie

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The neonatal skin is central to early survival and immune development. Far from being a passive mechanical barrier, it integrates physical, chemical, and microbial defences that together protect the infant in the immediate postnatal period. In preterm infants, structural immaturity, reduced antimicrobial capacity, and altered microbial colonisation confer heightened vulnerability to infection and inflammation. At the same time, the neonatal period represents a critical window during which skin–microbe interactions shape tolerance and long-term immune trajectories. This review summarises recent advances in understanding the development of the skin barrier, antimicrobial and innate immune defences, and the role of commensals in immune programming. Translational opportunities for neonatal care are discussed, including skin protective practices, antisepsis, and emollient use that may reduce infection risk in the neonatal intensive care unit. Finally, we consider future directions in microbiome-informed and skin-centred strategies.

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新生儿皮肤：新生儿重症监护病房的屏障、免疫和感染预防。

新生儿皮肤对早期生存和免疫发育至关重要。它远不是一个被动的机械屏障，它集成了物理、化学和微生物防御，共同保护婴儿在出生后的直接时期。在早产儿中，结构不成熟、抗微生物能力降低和微生物定植改变会增加感染和炎症的易感性。同时，新生儿期是皮肤微生物相互作用形成耐受性和长期免疫轨迹的关键窗口期。本文综述了近年来在理解皮肤屏障、抗菌和先天免疫防御的发展以及共生体在免疫编程中的作用方面的进展。讨论了新生儿护理的转化机会，包括皮肤保护实践，消毒和润肤剂的使用，可以降低新生儿重症监护病房的感染风险。最后，我们考虑了微生物组信息和以皮肤为中心的策略的未来方向。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine 医学-小儿科

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

3.30%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine (formerly Seminars in Neonatology) is a bi-monthly journal which publishes topic-based issues, including current ''Hot Topics'' on the latest advances in fetal and neonatal medicine. The Journal is of interest to obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists. The Journal commissions review-based content covering current clinical opinion on the care and treatment of the pregnant patient and the neonate and draws on the necessary specialist knowledge, including that of the pediatric pulmonologist, the pediatric infectious disease specialist, the surgeon, as well as the general pediatrician and obstetrician. Each topic-based issue is edited by an authority in their field and contains 8-10 articles. Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine provides: • Coverage of major developments in neonatal care; • Value to practising neonatologists, consultant and trainee pediatricians, obstetricians, midwives and fetal medicine specialists wishing to extend their knowledge in this field; • Up-to-date information in an attractive and relevant format.