Procter & Gamble’s Pampers brand has partnered with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses to design and introduce the new Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diaper. The new Size P-3 is three sizes smaller than Newborn diapers to fit the tiniest and most vulnerable premature babies born in the second trimester and weighing as little as 1 pound (500 grams). Pampers is the first major diaper brand to offer a diaper specifically designed for babies this small. To underscore the importance of this development, Pampers has joined forces with March of Dimes, the only national organization dedicated to finding the causes of preterm birth. Together through the Touches of Love campaign this fall, P&G will celebrate all babies, especially those in the NICU, and those who care for them.

“Pampers has been dedicated to the happy, healthy development of babies since our very first diaper more than 50 years ago,” says E. Yuri Hermida, vice president, North America Baby Care, P&G. “In 2002, we were the first major diaper manufacturer to create a diaper for premature babies. When nurses asked us to design a diaper for babies as tiny as 1 pound, everyone at Pampers was inspired to create our best diaper yet for the most vulnerable babies.”

Advances in medical science have enabled younger and smaller babies to survive, which has created the need for even smaller preemie diapers that are also specially designed to meet their unique needs. In a recent survey, nurses told Pampers that currently available premature diapers do not conform to a premature baby’s shape and proper positioning for optimal development. New Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diapers are designed to minimize disruption to help with sleep, positioning, and medical care for premature infants. They feature a contoured narrow core to help with developmentally optimal hip positioning. Other diapers used by NICU nurses today have a wide core that can push baby’s legs apart and do not allow baby’s hips and legs to rest comfortably, which 99% of nurses agree disrupts healthy growth and development.

The new Size P-3 diaper represents three years and more than 10,000 hours of research by Pampers product development and consumer research teams, including in-depth research with over 100 NICU nurses. “At Pampers, we’ve worked closely with hospitals, pediatricians and nurses for 40 years, and we know that a gentle, loving touch is essential to babies’ health and development,” says Amy Tally, senior scientist, Pampers Hospital Diaper Development, P&G. “For our newest and smallest preemie diaper, we set out to meet the very unique needs of premature babies and the nurses who care for them. The result is a diaper designed to provide comfort and protection without getting in the way of medical care – to offer a small touch of love to the most vulnerable babies.”

Pampers knows that premature babies’ delicate skin requires the softest materials. Pampers diapers are specially designed with blankie-like softness and gentle flex cuffs to improve comfort for each baby and help support skin-to-skin care in the NICU. All Pampers Swaddlers diapers also have the unique Absorb Away Liner that pulls away wetness and runny mess (a common side effect of babies on antibiotics) from baby’s skin. The new Pampers allow for all-over fastening and are equally absorbent in the front and back, providing nurses with the flexibility to change and position the diaper to accommodate for medical leads, lines and other interventions. This means nurses no longer need to cut or fold larger diapers to find the right fit for the smallest of babies.

“The care and comfort of these tiny premature babies couldn’t be more important, and Pampers has designed a diaper that I believe meets their needs better than anything available to us today,” says Linda Lacina, MSN, RN, NIDCAP infant developmental specialist and education specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. “With a contoured and customizable fit, nurses can position these new diapers in a way that’s best for each baby, while not hindering medical care. Having a Pampers diaper as part of the NICU also helps the experience feel more ‘normal’ to moms and dads, which is important, too.”

The materials in Pampers Preemie Swaddlers diapers are safe and gentle, and are the same materials used safely in Pampers hospital and retail diapers for many years. Pampers partners with leading pediatricians, pediatric dermatologists and safety experts to confirm the materials we use are safe for babies.

Previously, Pampers Preemie Swaddlers were only available in sizes P-1 (Preemie Small) and P-2 (Preemie Extra Small). Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diapers are currently available in select hospitals in the U.S., and will be available to hospitals across the U.S. and Canada before the end of 2016.