Early Transepidermal Water Loss in Term Neonates and Its Perinatal Influences Using a Closed‐Chamber System

AIMS: To establish transepidermal water loss values on the first postnatal day in healthy term neonates and associations with perinatal factors utilising a closed-chamber system. METHODS: A cross-sectional single-centre study was conducted over a 7-month period. Healthy infants ≥ 37-week gestation and 2-24 h old were recruited. Transepidermal water loss was measured at a single time-point, non-invasively under typical ambient conditions using a standardised approach. Anthropometric and perinatal variables were collated. Outcomes assessed included device validity and reliability, transepidermal water loss values, and interactions with maternal and infant variables. RESULTS: /h. No other associations were significant. CONCLUSION: Early postnatal transepidermal water loss in the term infant is low but variable. Physiological variability is not attributable to typical ambient conditions or common perinatal factors, indicating a uniformly competent skin barrier at term.