First-of-its-Kind Approach Helps Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Deliver Best Care with Every Diaper Change

DALLAS, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Huggies^© Nursing Advisory Council launched Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care, the first review to consider diapering within the context of developmental care—including skin care, physical development, sensory elements and bonding—during a presentation at the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) annual education conference in Palm Springs, Calif on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. The Council is a Kimberly Clark-sponsored consulting group made up of experts in neonatal and perinatal nursing, occupational therapy and education, as well as a NICU parent advocate. Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care is one element of Huggies new No Baby Unhugged* initiative, which helps babies get the hugs they need.

The average child can have up to 10,000 diaper changes in his or her lifetime. The Council believes these diaper changes provide an extraordinary opportunity to help meet the physical, mental and emotional needs of babies. Examining diapering from across their areas of expertise, the Council identified an opportunity for nurses to integrate, model and educate parents and other caregivers about the importance of developmental diapering care in addition to skin care.

Following a literature review of more than 500 articles focused on developmental care, the Council developed Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care. This first-of-its-kind guide provides practical information on how healthcare professionals and other caregivers can incorporate elements of evidence-based developmental care into their diapering practices. Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care operationalizes developmental diapering care through five core focus areas:

• Calm and Clean: The optimal environment
• Change and Check: Activities of daily living (positioning, feeding, skin care)
• Comfort: Pain and stress assessment and management
• Champion Sleep: Protected sleep
• Confidence and Closeness: Family-integrated care

"Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care highlights how a mindful approach to the seemingly routine task of changing a diaper can make a big impact," said Council member Joanne Kuller, RN, MS, Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland, Calif. "These recommendations bring together the best approaches to help nurses, and in turn parents and other caregivers, make the most of every diaper change."

Developed with nurses and healthcare providers in mind, Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care consists of a monograph and a quick-reference guide for every day clinical use. The monograph is a fully referenced document, while the quick-reference guide is a teaching and training tool designed specifically for nurses to use in the busy clinical setting.

"Huggies shares a passion with nurses and other healthcare providers to help babies thrive," said Aric Melzl, director, Huggies Brand, Kimberly-Clark. "We're proud to support the Council's development of a holistic approach to diapering care, captured in these comprehensive Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care resources. We hope that nurses will benefit from this new developmental look at diapering care, and use it to inform and empower parents."

Huggies new No Baby Unhugged* initiative helps babies get the hugs they need through clinical insights for nurses, including Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care. No Baby Unhugged* also delivers hugs through hospital volunteer hugging programs, specially-designed products for premature babies, and continued diapers and wipes donations to the National Diaper Bank Network, helping all babies stay clean, dry and healthy.

For additional information and to download materials, please visit HuggiesHealthcare.com.

About the Huggies Nursing Advisory Council
Members of the Huggies Nursing Advisory Council and co-authors of Every Change Matters*: A Guide to Developmental Diapering Care are:

• Sharon Dore, RN, BScN, M Ed, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
• Media Esser, NNP-BC, APNP, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Felicia Fitzgerald, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Perinatal Outreach Educator, Chicago, Illinois
• Kelli Kelley, Founder & Executive Director, Hand to Hold, Austin, Texas
• Joanne Kuller, RN, MS, Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland, California
• Sue Ludwig, OTR/L, Founder & President, National Association of Neonatal Therapists, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Debianne Peterman, PhD, MSN, RNC-NIC, NE-BC, Vice President, Clinical Education and Development, TriStar Health, Brentwood, Tennessee

About the Huggies® Brand
At Huggies, we understand few things are as powerful as baby's first hug. That's why every Huggies diaper and wipe is inspired by parents' hugs. For 37 years, Huggies has been helping parents provide love, care and reassurance to help babies thrive. Huggies partners with NICU nurses to develop diapers and wipes that meet the specific needs of pre-term infants. Huggies is dedicated to uncovering insights and delivering solutions that advance newborn care, reflecting its long-standing commitment to creating a better future for babies. To learn more about Huggies, visit HuggiesHealthcare.com.

For media interviews, contact:
Meghan Robson
Edelman
312-240-3055
[email protected]

Terry Balluck
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
972-281-1397  

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SOURCE Huggies