[Bathing and the colonization of the preterm newborn skin].

This article aims at determining the bathing role in skin colonization of preterm newborn by reviewing the literature from MEDLINE database. Clinical researches have demonstrated that bathing with soap triggers pH increase interfering with the skin physiological protection and provoking changes in the cutaneous microflora composition. Preterm neonates in NICU tend to acquire nosocomial skin flora from the action of bathing with cleansing products on the epidermal barrier function with direct consequences on the skin colonization.