Child health specialists have advised parents not to allow the hike in diaper prices drive them into unhealthy practice of leaving their babies in soiled diapers for long periods.

The paediatricians noted that such practices cause diaper rash in the pubic area of the babies, which could further lead to an infection.

The physicians  also urged parents not to return to recycling old clothes and rags as alternatives to diapers.

The child doctors recommended using reusable diapers and having babies wear pants at home to allow fresh air around the skin between the genitals and anus.

A mother of three, who prefers to be called Mummy Sewa, stated that she only puts diapers on her 10-month-old baby in the morning and at night.

She added that the rising prices have forced her to ration diaper use, opting for pants during the day.

She said, “The price of diapers is expensive. When I nursed my first child, I bought a pack for N3,000 but now I buy it for N10,000. Some even sell it for N11,000. So, I had to apply wisdom to the matter.

In the mornings, I wear diapers for my baby and in the afternoon, she wears a pant. The next time she wears a diaper is at night.”

However, Mummy Sewa’s pant alternative has left her having to clean after her 10-month-old every afternoon, a task that added to her daily chores and business.

For a mother of two, identified as Mrs Gideon, cleaning up after her baby is more economical than spending N10,000 weekly on diapers.

Like Mummy Sewa, she only puts a diaper on her little one in the morning and at night.

“As I speak to you he’s wearing only pants and he’ll wear that until it’s night. That is how I manage the diapers now because the one I buy now costs N9,000. Normally, he wears four to five diapers in a day, but now, it’s only two,” she said.

Checks by PUNCH Healthwise show that a pack of the most expensive diapers in Nigeria costs N120,000 while a single piece of the cheapest diaper costs N644.

However, leaving babies in soiled diapers for a long time poses them at risk of diaper rash and infections.

A scientific report by Tomoya Ueda, published on Nature.com, reveals that wearing wet diapers may affect the pelvis angle and promote inefficient walking in babies.

Also, a medical blog, AvaCare Medical, noted that prolonged contact of wet skin with a diaper, combined with the chemicals in urine or stool, could lead to a fungal infection.

Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, a paediatrician, Dr Ayobola Adebowale, also known as Your Baby’s Doctor, explained that leaving babies in wet diapers for extended periods can cause skin irritation due to the ammonia present in urine.

Source: Punch Newspaper