Abstract:
The present disclosure provides a developmentally designed diaper for LBW infants that is based on NIDCAP principals to allow for the proper positioning of a LBW infants limbs while wearing the diaper.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/127,209, 61/127,210, 61/127,211, each tiled on May 9, 2008, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This disclosure is related to diapers, and more specifically to developmentally designed diapers for low birth weight, very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight infants. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    Center positioning, assessment and overall neonatal stress reduction and activity grouping interaction is of great importance to the care of low birth weight (LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants (hereinafter, collectively, “LBW infants”) adding in total to a more rapid recuperative course for the LBW infants. 
         [0006]    Because of the musculo-skeletal problems associated with poor positioning of LBW infants, center positioning of the infant&#39;s limbs as close to normal as possible is the preferred position for this weight group. Generally, diapers now in use are too large in the crotch area for LBW infants because of the volume of diaper material being used liar absorbency considerations and the like. Thus, these diapers tend to spread a LBW infant&#39;s lower limbs beyond what is consider by the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) developmental guide to be developmentally proper for this weight group. Unfortunately, there are no known commercial diapers currently on the market that allow an LBW infant&#39;s lower limbs to be moved closer together than about 1⅜ inches. In perspective this dimension is quite large when considering the actual size of the LBW infant&#39;s hips. 
         [0007]    In addition, almost all commercial diapers contain a type of powder gel material that interacts with fluid by binding with the fluid, This generally allows the diaper to retain relatively large amounts of fluid, causing the diaper to swell in all directions. The swelling of the diaper exacerbates the limb positioning problem. Moreover, the use of gels in existing commercial diapers precludes using the diaper as a means of obtaining urine specimens for bedside spot checks of laboratory measurements. This makes it necessary for health care professionals to turn to stressful and invasive types of procedures to obtain fluid samples from LBW infants. 
         [0008]    For these reasons, what is needed is a diaper for infants that is designed to properly fit the LBW infant to avoid debilitating developmental problems and which allow for the collection of urine specimens and the like. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present disclosure provides a developmentally designed diaper (hereinafter, the “diaper”) for LBW infants that is based on NIDCAP principals to allow for the proper positioning of a LBW infants limbs while wearing the diaper. Since the diaper serves as an adjunct tool to contribute to an environment that is NIDCAP strategy based, the diaper is an important contribution to an individualized developmental care environment of the LBW infant that contributes to better patient outcomes. 
         [0010]    In one aspect, the disclosure provides a developmentally designed diaper for LBW infants. The diaper includes an outer layer having the dimensions L 2 , D 1 , D 2 , and D 3 ; an absorbent pad having the dimensions L 1 , P 1 , P 2 , P 3  and P 4 ; a wick away liner disposed on top of the absorbent pad; and an absorbent inner liner that pulls moisture away from an infants skin to which it makes contact past the wick away liner and into the absorbent pad. The dimensions provided below, are specific to each developmentally designed diaper so that the diaper may be constructed specifically for a weight range for the extremely low birth weight infant (ELBW) of &lt;2 lb 3 oz, the very low birth weight infant (VLBW) of up to &lt;3 lb 3 oz) and the low birth weight infant (LBW) of up to &lt;4.5 lb. 
         [0011]    The diaper may be constructed out of specific materials and designed to be used by the bedside caregiver as a developmental tool to assist in monitoring changes in lab values, providing bedside spot checks of body fluids and providing the caregiver with a tool that adheres to NIDCAP Developmental guided interventions of which, center positioning, assessment and overall neonatal stress reduction and activity grouping interaction is of great importance adding in total to a more rapid recuperative course for the LBW neonatal infant. The NIDCAP Developmental guide is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
         [0012]    Advantageously, no need for plastics, tapes or absorbent polymers that interact with the infants skin used in the diaper. 
         [0013]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments set forth below taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The present invention may he better understood, and its numerous objects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a simplified perspective view of a developmentally designed diaper in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a simplified plan view of the diaper of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a simplified plan view of an absorbent pad in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       
    
    
       [0018]    The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    All measurements stated in this application are important due to the nature of the diaper, the measurements in this summary are nonetheless approximations and are not intended to be specifically limiting. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a disposable diaper  100  under the contraction of elastic members (discussed below) n accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2  is a simplified plan view showing the diaper  100 , The diaper  100  includes an outer layer  102  and a body fluid absorbent pad  104  attached to an absorbent liner  106 . The absorbent liner  106  may be made of a non woven water permeable layer, such as a polymer polyacrylate cross link, or a thin quickly absorbent, non woven polypropylene fiber liner or other similar material. Preferably, the absorbent liner  106  accounts for between approximately 14-16% of the diaper  100  to pull moisture rapidly away from the LBW infant&#39;s skin toward and into the absorbent pad  104 . 
         [0021]    A back-sheet  108  made of non-woven fabric bonded and may be bonded to an inner surface of the absorbent liner  106 . The back-sheet  108  may be a water proof non-woven material, which accounts for between approximately 23-25% of the diaper  100 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the diaper  100  is contoured by a pair of side edges  110  extending along the longitudinal direction and a pair of ends  112  and  114  extending: in the transverse direction. As for the configuration, the diaper  100  defines a front waist region  116  extending forward from a crotch region  118 , and a rear waist region  120  extending rearward from the crotch region  118 . A pair of front wings  122  extend in the transverse direction from the respective side edges  110  of the front waist region  116  and a pair of rear wings  124  extend in the transverse direction from the respective side edges  110  of the rear waist region  120 . At end  112  is positioned an umbilical cord cutout  130 , The cutout may range from between about 6.5 cm×2 cm for the ELBW infant sized diaper to about 7 cm×2 cm for the LBW infant sized diaper. 
         [0023]    Elastic members  126  extending in the longitudinal direction are interposed and secured between the absorbent liner  106  and the backsheet  108  along the respective side edges  110 . The front and rear wings  122 ,  124  may be made of a non-woven fabric, a plastic film or a laminate thereof. The rear wings  124  are provided on respective inner surfaces with fasteners  128  formed from hook and loop fasteners and the like. In one embodiment, the diaper  100  uses a low profile hook and loop system to secure the diaper to the infant along with the elastic members  126  to stem leakage of fluid. In one embodiment, the hook and loop system includes 5 cm (L)×2 cm (W) tabs  128  on each side of wings  124  connecting to an 8 cm×3 cm strip provided on the outer surface of wings  122 , Advantageously, there is no need for plastics, tapes or absorbent polymers that interact with the infants skin used in the diaper. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a simplified plan view of the body fluid absorbent pad  104  in accordance with an embodiment. The absorbent pad  104  includes a chlorine free sulphate cellulose pulp pad or the like. The absorbent pad  104  accounts for approximately 56% of the diaper material. In one embodiment, the absorbent pad  104  may also include a pass through wick away liner  106   a  disposed on top of the absorbent pad  104 . The flick away liner may account for approximately 1% of the diaper material. 
         [0025]    In one embodiment, a hot melt adhesive hydrocarbon oil or similar adhesive comprising approximately 0.4% of the diaper material is used to bond the various sheets and liners. 
         [0026]    The following provides specific embodiments of the diaper  100  as constructed for each birth weight range. Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3  certain dimension of the diaper  100  are important to the effectiveness of the developmentally designed diaper. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Diaper Specifications for the ELBW Infant 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Weight 
                 5 grams +/− 2.5 gm 
               
               
                 Pad length (L 1 ) 
                 15 cm +/− 3.0 cm 
               
               
                 Pad width (P 1 , P 3 ) 
                 7 cm +/− 2 cm 
               
               
                 Pad crotch size (P 2  × P 4 ) 
                 2.5 cm × 2 cm +/− 1.0 cm 
               
               
                 Pad material 
                 chlorine free sulphate cellulose pulp 
               
               
                 Outer layer material 
                 Non woven material 
               
               
                 Non woven length (L 2 ) 
                 19 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Non woven width (D 1 , D 3 ) 
                 15 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Non woven crotch width (D 2 ) 
                 10.5 cm +/− 3.0 cm 
               
               
                 Elastic 
                 Double elastic 10 cm +/− 2.0 cm 
               
               
                 Inner liner 
                 11.5 cm × 6 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Absorption 
                 40 CC of NACL in testing +/− 10 cc 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0027]    The following provides specific embodiments of the diaper  100  as constructed for the Very Low Birth Weight Infant. Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3  certain dimension of the diaper  100  are important to the effectiveness of the developmentally designed chapel. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Diaper Specifications VLBW Infant 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Weight 
                 8.5 grams +/− 2.5 gm 
               
               
                 Pad length (L 1 ) 
                 20.5 cm +/− 3.0 cm 
               
               
                 Pad width (P 1 , P 3 ) 
                 9 cm +/− 2.0 cm 
               
               
                 Pad crotch size (P 2  × P 4 ) 
                 4 cm × 3 cm +/− 1.5 cm 
               
               
                 Pad material 
                 chlorine free sulphate cellulose pulp 
               
               
                 Outer layer material 
                 Non woven material 
               
               
                 Non woven length (L 2 ) 
                 24 cm +/− 2.5 in 
               
               
                 Non woven width (D 1 , D 3 ) 
                 19 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Non woven crotch width (D 2 ) 
                 12 cm +/− 3.0 cm 
               
               
                 Elastic 
                 Double elastic 16 cm +/− 2.0 cm 
               
               
                 Inner liner 
                 13 cm × 6 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Absorption 
                 60 CC of NACL in testing +/− 10 cc 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0028]    The following provides specific embodiments of the diaper  100  as constructed for the Very Low Birth Weight Infant. Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3  certain dimension of the diaper  100  are important to the effectiveness of the developmentally designed diaper. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Diaper Specifications for the LBW Infant 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Weight 
                 17 grams +/− 3.5 gm 
               
               
                 Pad length (L 1 ) 
                 25 cm +/− 3.5 cm 
               
               
                 Pad width (P 1 , P 2 ) 
                 10 cm +/− 2.0 cm 
               
               
                 Pad crotch size (P 2  × P 4 ) 
                 6 cm × 5 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Pad material 
                 chlorine free sulphate cellulose pulp 
               
               
                 Outer layer material 
                 Non woven material 
               
               
                 Non woven length (L 2 ) 
                 29 cm +/− 2.5 in 
               
               
                 Non woven width (D 1 , D 3 ) 
                 19 cm +/− 3.0 cm 
               
               
                 Non woven crotch width (D 2 ) 
                 14.5 cm +/− 3 cm 
               
               
                 Elastic 
                 Double elastic 29 cm +/− 3.5 cm 
               
               
                 Inner liner 
                 13 cm × 8 cm +/− 2.5 cm 
               
               
                 Absorption 
                 90 CC of NACL in testing +/− 10 cc 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0029]    While the principles of the invention have been described in connection with specific diaper, it is to be understood that this description is not a limitation on the scope of the invention.