Diapering
Tips
Nurturing, Safety, etc.
Regardless of the type of diapers used, diapering is an important
part of nurturing a young child. Frequent diaper changes are important
to keep baby's skin healthy. Also, each diaper change offers opportunities
for eye contact, interaction, and bonding with baby - reciting
nursery rhymes, making up silly songs, identifying that funny
thing as a "belly button", etc.
Diapering can
also offer a few hazards and challenges to both parent and child.
Babies seem to enjoy the opportunity to urinate into the open
air (throw a diaper over it quick!), and some like to quickly
roll over at the least opportune time. Never leave a baby unattended
on a raised surface, even for a moment. Even newborns can squirm
off a change table. If an emergency arises, put the baby on the
floor if necessary.
If using pins,
keep two fingers between the diaper and the baby and put the pin
through the cloth at a shallow angle. (Sticking pins in a bar
of soap will make them slide into the cloth more easily.)
It is best to
lay a newborn baby on his/her side to sleep, propped with rolled-up
towels, rather than on the tummy. This is recommended to prevent
choking should baby vomit. It will also help prevent discomfort
if baby's diaper is bulky in the front.
Some toddlers
can remove their diapers. If this is the case, they should wear
over clothing so they can't get their diapers off, especially
at night. If this fails, disposable diapers can be taped with
packing tape; fitted diapers can be pinned.
The diaper change
area is best located near a source of warm water and away from
food preparation or eating areas. A change table may not be necessary.
If you have enough counter space beside your bathroom sink, a
change pad or folded towel there will suffice. If you have a change
table in baby's bedroom, you can keep a vacuum bottle or "coffee
butler" or warm water there for wetting cloth wipes.
You should wash your hands with soap and water after each diaper
change.
"Cycling"
If using breathable waterproof diaper covers, they should be "cycled."
That is, let one pair air out while you use another. At the end
of the day, put both in the wash. Waterproof pants should be washed
in warm water with your regular laundry and hung up to dry. Don't
put them in the diaper pail.
Disposable Diapers
If the adhesive tapes on disposable diapers loose their adhesiveness
due to contact with creams or ointments, diapers can be fastened
with masking tape.
Diaper Service
It is advisable to make arrangements before the baby is born.
Even if you're planning to home launder, you may want to hire
a diaper service for the first 2-6 weeks (a possible gift suggestion
for friends or relatives).
Home Laundered
Wash new diapers before using. This fluffs them up, removes any
irritants that may be in new cloth, and brings them closer to
their proper size (cotton shrinks 5-10%).
You will need
one or two diaper pails, with enough total space (26-30litre/6-7
gallon capacity) to hold about 24 diapers, plus inserts and cloths.
Diaper pail deodorizers that fit in the lid are available. (1)
If you rinse feces from diapers, rather than using disposable
liners, you may want to keep a small pail near the toilet.
A synthetic detergent
(e.g., TIDE, SUNLIGHT, or INDISPOSABLES liquid laundry concentrate
(2)) is suitable for washing diapers. A pure soap works well in
soft, hot water; however, it is more expensive, and, if used in
hard water, can leave fatty deposits which will make the diapers
less absorbent. Washing soda can be used to soften water.
Home-laundered
diapers must be properly washed, but they need not be sterilized,
as diaper service diapers do.(3) Minor stains will not harm the
baby and usually wash out eventually. From an environmental perspective,
the less you add to the wash the better. If desired, stains can
be removed by hang drying diapers in the sun (the UV rays will
also sanitize the diapers) or by using washing soda, AMAZE detergent
booster, PRESIDENT'S CHOICE of SUNLIGHT laundry soap. Chlorine
bleach can be hard on fibres, may damage VELCRO, and may fade
coloured diapers. It should be used sparingly if at all (50-100ml/
1/4-1/2 cup for a load) and should be well diluted before being
added.
Fabric softerners
are not recommended; they can make diapers less absorbent and
may cause skin rashes. Using a clothes dryer softens the fabric.
If hang drying, putting the diapers in the dryer for 15-20 minutes
will fluff them up.(4)
Day Care
In group settings, it is important to minimize staff handling
of feces and the possibility of cross contamination (spread of
disease between children from different families). If using cloth
diapers, parents can provide disposable diaper liners. Soiled
liners can be discarded or flushed; CURITY liners that are only
wet can be left in the diaper which goes home in a waterproof
bag for laundering.
The Canadian
Paediatric Society recommends waterproof diaper wraps (not pull-on
pants) be used over cloth diapers in group care settings to reduce
feces getting on baby's legs. Also, children in diapers should
always wear overclothing to help prevent leakage of feces and
contamination of articles in their environment. A study on the
effect of overclothing and diaper type on preventing fecal contamination
in day care centres found that disposables showed an advantage
over flat cloth diapers used with pull-on pants; however, if overclothing
was worn there was no significant advantage shown for disposables.(6)
In any case, children with diarrhea must not be left in group
care settings because of possible spread of disease through feces
contamination.
Proper handwashing
must be strictly observed. The diaper change area must be separate
from food preparation or eating areas. If possible, staff who
change diapers should not prepare or serve food.
1. Diaper pails
and deodorizers are available from BABY LOVE PRODUCTS, and in
department or drug stores.
2. The INDISPOSABLES
Cotton Diaper Company Ltd., Vancouver, B.C. 1-800-663-1730 or
(604)251-3410.
3. Children develop
a general immunity to the "flora and fauna" in their
home environment. However, if baby develops a persistent rash,
diaper sterilization may be advisable by adding chlorine bleach
to the wash cycle, or by boiling clean diapers on the stove for
20 minutes.
4. Hang drying
outdoors is best. Collapsible circular hangers (hold 16 socks
or 8 diapers) make efficient use of space. If necessary, a line
can be strung between two deck posts. If hang drying indoors,
keep in mind that evaporation causes cooling and adds humidity.
This may be an advantage on hot, dry days, but in winter it can
increase frosting on windows and may increase heating requirements
slightly.
5. Canadian Paediatric
Society, Well Beings - A Guide to Promote the Physical Health,
Safety and Emotional Well-Being of Children in Child Care Centres
and Family Day Care Homes, 1992. ISBN 0-9695630-0-0.
6. Van, Pickering,
et. al., Effect of Diaper Type and Overclothing, JAMA, April 10,
1991 - Vol. 265, No. 14.