Development of a newborn skin assessment tool using image analysis for preventive skin care.

• Project/Area Number: 19K11013
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58070:Lifelong developmental nursing-related
• Research Institution: Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Higuchi Sachi 大分県立看護科学大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (10567209)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2022: ¥260,000 (Direct Cost: ¥200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥60,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 画像解析 / 皮膚評価 / 皮膚バリア機能 / 新生児 / 予防的スキンケア / 画像診断 / 皮膚評価ツール

Outline of Research at the Start

本研究では、新生児の皮膚画像データを解析し、皮膚バリア機能と角層バイオマーカーならびにスキンブロッティング法を用いた皮膚内部の炎症反応との関連を明らかにする。これにより、新生児の皮膚画像と皮膚バリア機能、皮膚組織内の炎症反応との関連を科学的に検証することで、画像を用いた新たな新生児の皮膚評価ツールの開発を目指す。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since the skin of newborns is easily affected by the external environment, it is essential to provide care according to each newborn’s skin condition in daily life in order to maintain good skin barrier function. In order to implement appropriate skin care, it is necessary to have a tool that enables anyone to accurately determine the condition of newborns’ skin. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between skin image data and skin condition parameters in newborns, and attempted to develop a new skin assessment tool for newborns using image analysis.
The results suggest that it is possible to classify whether the skin condition is good or bad based on skin image data. In addition, by focusing on the penetration of light (color) by wavelength, it was found that two types of skin symptoms, dryness and redness, can be expressed by images.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

新生児の皮膚評価ツールとして画像を用いることは新たな試みであり、画像データにより得られた評価に基づき、個々の皮膚特性や各身体部位の皮膚状態に合わせた最適な予防的スキンケアの提案も行える点において学術的意義がある。新生児期からの適切なスキンケアの実施により皮膚バリア機能を良好に保つことで、将来のアレルギーやアトピー性皮膚炎の発症予防に繋がるという面からも社会的意義は大きい。