Water transport through the skin of newborn infants.

Factors that may influence the water transport through the skin in infants on their first day of life were studied with a method based on determination of the vapour pressure gradient in the air layer close to the skin surface. The evaporation rate from the skin was found to vary with the site of measurement, ambient humidity, temperature, activity, gestational age and nutritional status at birth. Differences related to maturity were shown to decrease with postnatal age.