Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ttngx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-09T08:18:54.538Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Absorption of hexachlorophane from dusting powder on newborn infants' skin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

W. A. Gillespie ,
Beryl D. Corner ,
D. Burman  and
V. G. Alder
W. A. Gillespie
Affiliation:
Departments of Bacteriology and Child Health, University of Bristol and United Bristol Hospitals
Beryl D. Corner
Affiliation:
Departments of Bacteriology and Child Health, University of Bristol and United Bristol Hospitals
D. Burman
Affiliation:
Departments of Bacteriology and Child Health, University of Bristol and United Bristol Hospitals
V. G. Alder
Affiliation:
Departments of Bacteriology and Child Health, University of Bristol and United Bristol Hospitals
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In a maternity hospital in which the umbilicus and trunk of healthy newborn infants were treated with 0·33% hexachlorophane dusting powder, the hexachlorophane content of blood was measured in mothers before delivery, in infants' umbilical samples at birth, and at 8 days of age in capillary blood samples. One mother and her baby had rather high blood concentrations of hexachlorophane, probably derived from a toilet preparation used before admission to hospital. Hexachlorophane was absent or barely detectable in the other mothers' blood and in the infants' umbilical blood. The hexachlorophane concentrations in the blood of 8-day-old infants ranged from nil to 0·166 μg./ml. (mean 0·066 μg./ml.). These were much less than the concentrations reported to be toxic in animals.

In a previous trial now reported here, a dusting powder containing chlorhexidine instead of hexachlorophane was found to delay the separation of the umbilical cord.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 73 , Issue 2 , October 1974 , pp. 311 - 315
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

References

REFERENCES

Alder, V. G., Burman, D., Corner, B. D. & Gillespie, W. A. (1972). Absorption of hexachlorophane from infants' skin. Lancet ii, 384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alexander, G. M. C. & Pitkewicz, J. S. (1973). The incidence of infections in nurseries since the discontinuance of hexachlorophane bathing. Pediatrics 51, 360.Google Scholar
Ayliffe, G. A. J., Brightwell, K. M., Ball, P. M. & Derrington, M. M. (1972). Staphylococcal infection in cervical glands of infants. Lancet ii. 479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baber, K. G., Corner, B. D., Duncan, E. H. L., Eades, S. M., Gillespie, W. A. & Walker, S. C. B. (1967). A prospective study of staphylococcal infection and its prevention among infants and mothers after childbirth in hospital and at home. Journal of Hygiene 65, 381.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corner, B. D., Crowther, S. T. & Eades, S. M. (1960). Control of staphylococcal infection in a maternity hospital. Clinical survey of the prophylactic use of hexachlorophane. British Medical Journal i, 1927.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curley, A., Hawk, R. E., Kimbrough, R. D., Nathenson, G. & Finberg, L. (1971). Dermal absorption of hexachlorophane in infants. Lancet ii, 296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curley, A. & Hawk, R. E. (1971). Hexachlorophene I. Analysis in body fluids and tissues of experimental animals, paper read at 161st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Los Angeles. March 28 to April 2. (Cited by Pleuckhahn, 1973.)Google Scholar
Dixon, R. E., Kaslow, R. A., Mallison, G. F. & Bennett, J. V. (1973). Staphylococcal disease outbreaks in hospital nurseries in the United States – December 1971 through March 1972. Pediatrics 51, 413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillespie, W. A., Simpson, K. & Tozer, R. C. (1958). Staphylococcal infection in a maternity hospital. Epidemiology and control. Lancet ii, 1075.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gluck, L. & Wood, H. F. (1961). Effect of an antiseptic skin-care regimen in reducing staphylococcal colonization in newborn infants. New England Journal of Medicine 265, 1177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, E. R. (1971). Toxicity of pHisoHex on 90-day skin applications to infant rhesus monkeys, report submitted to Sterling–Winthrop Research Institute by Bionetics Research Laboratories, December 3. (Cited by Pleuckhahn, 1973.)Google Scholar
Pleuckhahn, V. D. (1973). Infant antiseptic skin care and hexachlorophane. Medical Journal of Australia i, 93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pleuckhahn, V. D. & Banks, J. (1963). Antisepsis and staphylococcal disease in the new-born child. Medical Journal of Australia ii, 519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pleuckhahn, V. D. & Banks, J. (1964). Breast abscess and staphylococcal disease in a maternity hospital. British Medical Journal ii, 414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, K., Tozer, R. C. & Gillespie, W. A. (1960). Prevention of staphylococcal sepsis in a maternity hospital by means of hexachlorophane. British Medical Journal i, 315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar