Emollient Therapy for Premature Infants in Zimbabwe

Inclusion Criteria: * infants \<72 hours of age * weigh 700-1500 at birth * hospitalized at SMCH Exclusion Criteria: * infants who are moribund and highly likely not to survive despite any intervention * significant breaches in their skin barrier * conditions indicating failure to gain weight * critically ill (definition below): 1. Oxygen saturation \<88% on oxygen therapy AND ≥2 of the following conditions: 2. respiratory rate \<20 or \>100 breaths per minute 3. apnea requiring bag-mask ventilation 4. heart rate \<100 or \>200 beats per minute * congenital syphilis * hydrops fetalis * a life-threatening congenital anomaly or major surgical condition requiring intervention * generalized skin disease or a structural defect involving \>5% body surface area likely to produce a defect in epidermal barrier function