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Diapers are Health Indicators for Children

04 Jun '11

2 min read

On an average some 3000 diapers are being used by a baby per year.

Diapers can serve as indicators for the health of babies and growing up children, said Ms. Pauline Mills, a certified lactation consultant at the University Medical Center, Lubbock, USA. Addressing a class of "would be" mothers in Lubbock on June 2nd, Pauline Mills said, 7 days or older babies until the time they give up using diapers on an average use 7-8 diapers per day.

Diapers are used from the day one of child birth. 1 to 2 wet diapers are used on the first day of birth. The more the food, a baby consumes, they have to discharge more which is reflected in the number of diapers being used. For a 1 week grown baby, a reduction of even one or two baby diapers usage per day can be a signal of less bowel movement and associated illnesses.

Although diapers are used from the get go, wipes are not generally used for 1 to 2 weeks since the time of birth. Some physicians recommend using wet cloth moistened with clean water instead of wipes, said Ms. Mills. As most of the wipes are alcohol based, it may dry the babies' skin and eventually cause some irritation. If at all wipes are needed, unscented and non-alcoholic wipes have to be used after at least two weeks of child birth, said Ms. Mills.

Seshadri Ramkumar, Texas Tech University, USA