A simple rubdown with sunflower oil to save newborns?

Part of the answer to reducing newborn infection lies in the skin barrier.  Sunflower seed oil is a potentially promising antidote to neonatal infection.  Studies in Egypt and Bangladesh have shown that full body massage with sunflower seed oil reduces neonatal infection 40-55%.  The study found that the use of sunflower seed oil appeared not only to reduce the transfer of pathogens from the skin into the bloodstream, but also reduce the transfer of pathogens that originated in the gut.  In this study, the comparison was between Aquaphor (a commerical emollient) and sunflower seed oil.   In Sarlahi District, Southern Nepal, a group is undertaking a trial to determine the effects of full body sunflower oil massage on the incidence of infection in newborns.  In much of South Asia, rubbing an infant with oils is a standard home-based practice.  However, there is some concern that commonly used mustard oil may have toxic properties, while the alternative of sunflower oil may have very strong protective properties. We will follow this story which lies at the intersection of traditional practices and innovation-- in this case, the research is taking a traditional practice of infant massage, and analyzing the oil/emollient to determine the optimal product for saving lives.