Today's new-age parents want the best skincare products for their babies. The New Baby Moments range is even more safe and advanced, backed by 60+ years of Chicco's global experience, because we too believe that babies deserve the best!

How is Newborn and Infant Skin different?

The newborn's skin is delicate and sensitive, more prone to redness, irritations, infections, and allergies. Its barrier function is significantly compromised and immaturity is more pronounced if the baby is preterm or extremely preterm ^[1] .

Full-term infants at birth have skin that is anatomically mature when examined histologically with all five layers present, though functional maturity takes place in the postnatal period only. 

Term newborn skin layers include from deep to superficial: stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum ^[4] . As epidermal cells mature, their morphology changes from the columnar stratum basale to the tightly overlapping squamous keratinocytes of the stratum corneum. The time to fully mature, keratinize and form this protective horny layer varies depending on body site. This occurs more rapidly in facial skin than in the trunk and limbs ^[5] .

Neonatal skin has a relatively coarse texture compared to older infants and proceeds to develop a more homogeneous smooth structure during the first 30 days of life ^[6] . As a matter of fact, the secretion of sebum decreases rapidly starting from birth, leaving the baby's skin particularly vulnerable; It is not rare, therefore, to see dry skin in the weeks following birth. Infants have smaller corneocytes and a significantly thinner stratum corneum until two years of age ^[4] 

Also, the neonate skin is unable to sweat properly. Sweating develops in the postnatal period ^[2] . Sweating is an important mechanism to develop the body's defense mechanism against bacteria as it helps in pH regulation of the skin.

Baby skin, being permeable, is prone to absorbing chemicals or toxins used in baby care products.

Moreover, in relation to the baby's weight, the skin surface is greater than that of adults. This results in higher concentrations of substances being absorbed by the skin, or increased transcutaneous absorption, increasing the risk of problems resulting from the use of inappropriate cosmetic products.

The good thing about baby skin is that it is believed to have advantageous properties for wound repair, with the ability of fetal skin to undergo scarless wound repair and the inherent youthful appearance of pediatric skin ^[5] . Babies gain weight rapidly and the baby's skin expands exponentially to accommodate this growth at the same time, without stretch marks.

Importance of good skincare for baby

It's not hard to believe that a baby's skin requires high-quality products without harmful chemicals to nourish and protect the baby's skin. At the same time, the products should be able to support the baby's skin in fighting bacteria, rashes, or excessive transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and maintaining the pH of the baby's skin ^[7] . Contrary to popular belief, babies' skin is drier than older kids or adults, hence a very careful selection of gentle and safe products is needed for baby's skin.

From these matters arises the need to use only products that have been clinically/laboratory-tested to satisfy strict requirements.

What are the benefits of Chicco New Baby Moments Range of Products?