2.3 CURRENT GUIDANCE ON SKIN CLEANSING Current guidance on skin cleansing has been limited by the lack of available high quality evidence, leading to a number of differing guidelines.13-17 Hence, there has been confusion amongst health professionals in relation to appropriate advice.18 Guidance from the World Health Organization13 is limited to bathing a baby in warm water, at least 6 hours following birth. There is no United Kingdom NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) guidance specifically about neonatal skin care. The NICE Postnatal Care Guidelines17 contains one paragraph about neonatal skin care which recommends that cleansing agents, lotions or medicated wipes should not be used; using only a mild non-perfumed soap where necessary. No evidence is cited to support this practice, and recent trials have demonstrated that the use of products can significantly reduce the development of dermatological conditions. In contrast to the NICE Postnatal Care Guideline, AWOHNN14,19 guidance is more comprehensive and specific and recommends use of a cleansing wash, with a neutral pH, that has been specifically formulated for use on babies.