Incidence and Risk Factors of Diaper Dermatitis in Hospitalised Children Aged 0-24 Months: An Epidemiological Descriptive Study in Iran

摘要

Introduction: Diaper dermatitis can cause unpleasantcomplications for the child and the family. However very limitedstudies are reported on the topic.Aim: To investigate the incidence of diaper dermatitis and itsrisk factors in hospitalised children.Materials and Methods: A descriptive epidemiological studywas conducted at Qazvin, Iran, total of 228 hospitalised childrenwere studied. A structured questionnaire and face to faceinterviews regarding risk factors of diaper dermatitis were usedfor data collection at admission to the hospital. Skin examinationwas performed using the diaper dermatitis severity scale per48 hour. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for dataanalysis and the signifcant level was set as p<0.05.Results: The incidence rate of diaper dermatitis in childrenadmitted to the hospital was 50.9%. The mean age of childrenwas 6.43 months. 127 (55.7%) were male out of 228 participants.The type of ward, gender, history of dermatitis, type of nutrition,stool consistency, diaper changes for more than 5 times perday, increase in the frequency of defecation and the useof protective creams signifcantly affected the incidence ofdermatitis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showedthat one of the most important risk factors were hospitalisationin the neonatal ward or neonatal intensive care unit, a previoushistory of diaper dermatitis, female gender and breast feeding.These factors predicted a total of 31%-42% of the incidence ofdiaper dermatitis.Conclusion: More than half of the children suffered from diaperdermatitis during hospital stay. The members of health careand treatment team should pay more attention to prevent thiscommon skin problem in children.