WINTER
2003
Volume 8 Issue 8
ARTICLES
NEWS BREAKS AT OB SCIENTIFIC, INC.
How Stress Affects Your Body
Doulas Said To Help Ease Labor Pains
C-Sections Hit High Mark
Natural Antibiotic Barrier in Newborn Skin
Norwalk Virus Wont Kill You
[News Archive] |
Newborn skin has natural antibiotic barrier
According to researchers, newborn babies are equipped with an antibacterial skin defense that
protects them against infection in the very early stages of life. This barrier is made up of
so-called peptide antibiotics and is present in the skin of all babies, as well as the vernix
caseosa-the creamy substance they are coated with in the womb. These natural antibiotics seem
to be activated by a common but poorly understood infant skin rash called erythema toxicum.
Peptide antibiotics are part of the body's surface protection against microbial intruders.
They act as a rapid, first line of defense that is separate from the immune system. Although
they are found in the skin of adults, little has been known about their presence in young infants.
The findings, reported in the December issue of the British Journal of Dermatology, suggest they
also play a vital part in protecting babies during the transition from the sterile environment
within the womb to a world full of microbes.
Copyright Rutgers 2002
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