BABY'S SKIN HEALTH
The average child has up to 10,000 diaper changes in his or her lifetime. These diaper changes are more than an opportunity for a clean and dry diaper. These everyday, yet essential, moments are also a chance to integrate developmental care along with infant skin care.
The five areas of focus in Every Change Matters™: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care allow you to foster infant growth and development through nurturing human interaction—because every change matters.
These enhanced care practices can be assimilated, taught, and modeled by healthcare professionals within the healthcare setting and adopted by parents and caregivers outside of healthcare settings to help infants thrive.
"Huggies" Kimberly Clark
BABY'S SKIN HEALTH MATTERS - DIAPER CHANGING REQUIRES CERTAIN TECHNIQUES - SO BE CALM AND CLEAN YOUR HANDS...
- Make sure all supplies needed for the diaper change, including clean diapers and wipes, are in reach before starting the diaper change. Don't leave the baby unattended.
- Before diapering please wash your hands
- Prior to diapering, approach the infant calmly, intentionally, and with a gentle, purposeful touch while keeping the infant in as flexed a position as possible.
- Change diapers every 1 to 3 hours during the day and with each feeding at night (or at least once during the night) using a disposable diaper with super absorbency.
- Conduct a gentle, thorough cleansing of the genital or vaginal area with baby wipes at every diaper change, if possible.
- Keep one hand on the infant at all times. For micro-preemies (<1500 g), it may be helpful for two caregivers to assist with the diaper change (one to gently perform the diaper change and the other to help move baby around while offering other soothing comforting techniques)
- After diapering, the changing surface should be cleaned, if wearing gloves - removed them then throw them away, and your hands should be thoroughly washed or sanitized again.
- If baby should develop a skin rash use plain warm water on baby's genital or vaginal area. Pat dry and use a reasonable amount of rash cream on the affected area. If the rash does not clear up after using the cream after 3 to 5 days - call your pediatrician.
