Abstract
Introduction: The skin is an organ which plays many important functions. It is e.g. a highly specialized barrier and protects against mechanical trauma and UV radiation. Moreover it participates in the synthesis of vitamin D and also participates in the immune system. The skin of a newborn needs specific treatment due to its functional and anatomical differences. Skin of the baby achieves similarity to adult skin in 3 years old child. Signifficant difference included higher body surface vs. volume ratio which increases the permeability for potentially undesirable substances. Moreover the thinner stratum corneum of the epidermis and neutral pH provides insufficient protection against irritations and microorganisms. Therefore the skin of the newborn requires special care and cosmetics as well as application of skin care methods which should take into account morphological and anatomical dissimilarity.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 125 parents, living in the West Pomeranian region, on the basis of the diagnostic survey method, using the author’s questionnaire survey.
Conclusions: The parents have awareness about the composition nursing products and cosmetics. For the respondents, the internet and the doctor were the most important sources of information about child skin care.