Onset of palmar sweating in newborn infants

In a study of ninety‐one normal newborn infants it has been shown that, contrary to long‐standing belief, it is usual to detect eccrine sweating over the palm towards the end of the first day of life. Sweat testing was performed without any form of stimulation, using a 5% solution of o‐phthaldialdehyde in xylene. Solomon & Esterley (1970) mentioned that during the first 24–48 h of life, full‐term infants usually do not sweat, although sweating begins on the face at about the third day. Referring to Beare & Rook (1968), they commented that palmar sweating begins later. In fact, Beare & Rook (1968), quoting Uchino (1939), stated that palmoplantar sweating may first be provoked by vigorous crying 2–3 months after birth. Although it may be true that loud crying does not commonly increase palmar sweat production until the second month of life or later, we were interested to see whether, in the normal infant, eccrine sweat is produced over the palms on the day of birth or a few days later.