The Tale of a Tiny Helper for Preemie Babies: Pampers Smallest Nappies

Premature babies have been at the center of our nappy innovation in the last 2 decades, following a moment of heartbreak of a fellow mum, Pampers Baby Care Research Specialist, Susan Ludwig.

Susan had just given birth to her son and learnt that her roommate had given birth prematurely and she felt a huge sense of sadness that this mum had to face such an unexpected challenge, while she held her healthy baby in her arms.

While talking to a nurse, Susan learned that the current nappies for premature babies available in the market did not properly fit the babies, nor were soft enough for fragile premature skin, which had not yet fully developed. Immediately, Susan knew what she needed to do as a mother, but also as a researcher for the largest nappy manufacturer in the world.

Following her maternity leave, Susan spoke with her managers about the tiny premature babies who needed nappies designed exclusively for them. Eventually in 2002, Susan and her team secured a patent for an extendable back sheet that would fit the nappy of babies weighing just over 1000g to just over 2000g making Pampers the first major brand to make a nappy so small. As medical research and technology evolved, the infant survival rate of babies under 1kg has improved over the years. And that’s what made Susan and colleagues to launch an even smaller nappy in 2017, the P3, to fit 400-800g preemies – Pampers smallest nappy yet. But Pampers didn’t stop there;

• We collaborated with 200 nurses...

• ...and after 50 hours of interviews...

• ...and 10,000 hours of research...

In 2019, Pampers launched an improved Preemie nappy design in three sizes that delivers on parents and neonatal nurses needs to protect, comfort and support the health development of preemies babies.

Our Pampers Preemie Protection Nappies

Pampers Preemie Protection Nappies are Pampers’ smallest nappy and are up to three times smaller than a regular newborn nappy. They come in three sizes for babies weighing less than 500g up to 1800g.

Around 1 in 13 babies is born pre-term in the UK, meaning that 60,000 babies each year require specialised care and need smaller sized nappies to protect their delicate skin during critical stages of their development. This is why our nappies have been specially designed in collaboration with neonatal nurses and parents for the most delicate skin. They have an all-over fastening for a customisable fit which allows a nappy diaper change in any position. This helps minimise disruption and irritation during changing and designed to support up to 6 hours of dryness and leakage protection for uninterrupted sleep.

Where can you find our Preemie nappies?

Friends and families of babies born prematurely can now order their Pampers Preemie Protection Nappies online for free home delivery via www.pampers.co.uk/preemies-ordering-platform. Pampers also continue to donate Pampers Preemie Protection nappies direct to hospitals, and via ASDA pharmacies (in-store only and subject to availability)

Pampers continues to work with long-term partner, Bliss, to support parents with the resources to help them feel more involved & confident in the care of their premature or sick babies and give them the best start in life. Bliss is the leading charity to support babies born premature or sick. Pampers, together with Bliss, continues to touch the lives of preemie babies and their families, ensuring they feel supported and loved. For more information and advice, please visit https://www.bliss.org.uk/