The topical use of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit was shown in this study to cause a tremendous increase in the risk of systemic candidiasis (yeast infections). This association was discovered when a Houston hospital noticed an increase in the incidence of this problem shortly after they instituted a change in their standard protocol for skin treatment in extremely low birth weight infants. Researchers found that the risk of candidiasis was increased by a factor of 11 (eleven). The average age of the infants when diagnosed with candidiasis was 21.5 days old. Following the findings, the hospital discontinued it's use of petroleum jelly and the incidence of candidiasis returned back to normal levels.

Pediatrics 2000; 105: 1041-1045