Image via Huggies

Little Snugglers Nano Preemie are specially designed for babies weighing under two pounds

For most parents, diapers aren’t something you give much thought to (unless it’s that dreaded time of day when they need to be changed). But for parents of the littlest preemies, finding a diaper that will both fit and not damage baby’s still developing skin has been a big challenge — until now.

Huggies has introduced new Little Snuggler Nano Preemie diapers, especially designed for infants weighing less than two pounds. While less than 1.4 percent of babies born each year fall into this category, Huggies recognized this very special and fragile class of babies was in desperate need of a diaper solution. The company worked closely and quickly with NICU nurses and neonatal therapists to develop the diaper, delivering a finished product less than six months from conception.

“We’re passionate about helping all babies thrive, especially the smallest and most fragile. This Huggies diaper reflects our ongoing commitment to deliver innovative solutions for the NICU,” said Eleonora Daireaux, Vice President, Huggies North America in a 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.”

These teeny diapers are specially designed to help with preemie development. They have a soft liner and gentle leg gatherings that prevent leaks without irritating still developing skin. The fasteners are specially sized to fit the diaper. The inner pad is narrower so the baby can easily be positioned into a comfortable fetal tuck, with their arms and legs close to the body.

“Good-fitting diapers are important to the healthy growth and development of our smallest patients,” said Anjanette Lee, MS, CCC/SLP, NTMTC, an infant development specialist at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital in Houston, Texas, one of nine Level III and Level IV NICUs that tested the diaper. “In our experience, we found Huggies Little Snugglers Nano Preemie Diapers conformed to the baby’s bottom without gapping or limiting leg movement. The thinner fasteners and less material at the waist provided a good fit for baby while still protecting their fragile skin.”

If you’ve ever been in the position of having a preemie in the NICU, then you know how shocking it can be. Nothing aligns with the “normal” ideas of motherhood that you envisioned while you were pregnant. Often preemies aren’t even allowed to wear clothing while in the hospital, either because they’re still learning to regulate their body temperature or because medical staff needs easy access to their wires and equipment. Sometimes getting to put a diaper on your baby is one of the few ordinary parenting tasks you get to do, and it’s disheartening when even the preemie diapers are too large to fit properly.

My twin boys were born prematurely. While they weighed more than two pounds at birth, preemie diapers still had to be folded over in order to awkwardly fit them in for the first few weeks. There were plenty of leaks and diaper rashes as a result. For a new mom who was already scared and feeling unsure about how she was going to care for two premature infants, feeling like I couldn’t even put on a diaper properly didn’t do much to bolster my confidence.

These Nano Preemie diapers may be small, but they can make a huge difference in the lives of preemies and parents.