Be prepared to say, "Aww."
Huggies, one of the country's leading diaper makers, just released a line of "nano" diapers so tiny they're specifically designed to fit babies who weigh 2 pounds or less.
Fewer than 1.4 percent of babies born each year are this small, according to a press release for the diapers. Premature babies this tiny are still developing and have fragile, thin skin often irritated by preemie diapers that are too large.
“We’re passionate about helping all babies thrive, especially the smallest and most fragile," Eleonora Daireaux, vice president of Huggies North America, said in the press release. “After hearing of the need for a diaper that meets the special requirements of these babies, our expert teams in skin science, research, product safety and manufacturing were inspired.”
Huggies's nano preemie diaper has specially-sized fasteners and a narrow absorbent pad so it's flexible enough for the babies to be in fetal position with their arms and legs close to their bodies, according to the press release. It also features a soft, smooth liner gentle enough not to irritate their fragile skin.
“Good-fitting diapers are important to the healthy growth and development of our smallest patients,” Anjanette Lee, MS, CCC/SLP, NTMTC, an infant development specialist at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital in Houston, Texas, said in the press release.
Huggies worked with specialists like Lee at NICUs across the country to develop this and other preemie-specific products, including a slightly larger "micro" preemie diaper and wipes made for sensitive skin. The company interviewed nurses and neonatal therapists to make sure this diaper met needs for healthy growth and development.
So much care goes into these diapers for the tiniest humans that each one is individually inspected and folded before packaging.
We can only hope that nano diapers give at least a little comfort back to the parents of babies so small.