Best Practices for Infant Skin Health: Keeping Diapered Skin Clean and Dry

Understanding the impact of moisture and urine on baby’s delicate skin.

Maintaining healthy skin for infants, especially in the diapered area, is crucial for their overall well-being. The combination of moisture and exposure to urine and feces can compromise the delicate skin barrier and lead to irritation and diaper dermatitis. Understanding the importance of keeping diapered skin clean and dry can help prevent these common issues and ensure baby’s skin remains healthy and comfortable.

The Importance of Keeping Diapered Skin Clean and Dry

An infant’s skin in the diapered area is subjected to prolonged exposure to irritants in urine and feces, which can damage the skin barrier and cause inflammation or diaper dermatitis. Diapered skin can become overhydrated when exposed to excessive moisture, such as urine. The skin barrier can be disrupted as the cells that form the outer layer start to swell, allowing irritants to pass through. This increases skin pH, causes friction between the skin and diaper contents and disrupts the normal skin microbiome.

To support keeping babies’ skin clean and dry in the diapered region and help prevent diaper rash, our products are designed to help maintain a healthy skin barrier. For newborns, the Newborn Nursery Comfy Combo collection includes Huggies® Little Snugglers® Diapers with a GentleAbsorb® Liner that draws moisture away from the skin to help keep baby dry and comfortable and Huggies® Natural Care® Sensitive wipes, Clinically Proven to complement healthy baby skin pH.

For NICU settings, the NICU Nursery collection offers Huggies® Little Snugglers® Diapers which are specially designed for optimal fit for healthy growth and gentle skin protection along with Huggies^® Natural Care^® Extra Sensitive Wipes, specially formulated to complement healthy skin pH and to help wipe away fecal enzymes from skin

For more detailed information, check out the PDF: The Importance of Keeping Skin Clean and Dry in the Diapered Region.

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Impact of Urine on Diapered Skin Health

While urine may not be as irritating to baby skin as a combination of urine and feces, urine alone does have an impact on diapered skin health. Urine is primarily made up of water and various substances, typically with an average pH between 6–7. Left on the skin for a prolonged period, urine can potentially increase skin pH and enhance the permeability of the skin to irritants and harmful microorganisms

For more comprehensive insights, download the PDF: Impact of Urine on Diapered Skin Health.

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Key Diapering Skin Care Practices:

1. Thorough and Gentle Cleaning
Gently cleanse diapered skin with pH-formulated wipes, such as Huggies^® Natural Care^® Wipes and Huggies^® Natural Care^® Extra Sensitive Wipes, to remove urine and feces from skin. These wipes are designed to be as gentle as water, making them ideal for sensitive infant skin. They help maintain the skin’s naturally acidic barrier while effectively removing irritants that can lead to discomfort or diaper rash

2. Maintaining Dry Skin
Keeping the diaper area dry is vital for preventing skin damage from overhydration. Regularly change diapers and, when possible, allow the skin to air out between changes. Huggies^® Little Snugglers^® Diapers offer superior protection with their GentleAbsorb® Liner, which draws moisture away from the skin, locking it in to keep the area dry and comfortable. These breathable diapers also feature a pocketed waistband to help contain messes, ensuring that urine and feces are kept off the skin. Proper diaper care for newborn practices, like frequent diaper changes and using absorbent diapers, can greatly contribute to improving diapered skin health.

3. Skin Barrier Protection
Apply barrier creams and ointments to shield the skin from irritants in urine and feces. This protective layer reduces the risk of diaper dermatitis, ensuring baby stays comfortable. Pairing this with the dryness provided by Huggies^® Little Snugglers^® Diapers helps create a powerful defense against skin irritation

For a deeper dive into prevention and treatment strategies for diaper dermatitis, refer to the AWHONN Neonatal Skin Care Evidence-Based Guidelines.

Implement consistent care by adopting and documenting clinically appropriate measures for your infants to support the fundamentals of Change and CheckTM for healthy diapered skin for both newborn and preterm infants. NICU-specific diaper rash protocols can also be an essential part of caring for the most vulnerable infants. By following a documented diapering protocol, caregivers can help reduce the risk of diaper dermatitis and maintain healthy skin for their infants. For a more in-depth understanding, download the fundamentals of the Change and Check^™ considerations to help promote healthy diapered skin.