Fewer Diapers a Health Problem for Babies, Moms - East Idaho News
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Fewer Diapers a Health Problem for Babies, Moms

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GETTY W 100112 Diapers?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1375161043476iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW HAVEN, Conn.) — Too few diapers can make for more than just a cranky kid. In a survey in Pediatrics of more than 800 women living in low-income households, Yale researchers found that nearly one in three said they regularly did not have enough diapers. These researchers found this can to health issues for both babies and mothers.

Stretching out the life of a diaper — or leaving it on too long — can lead to more urinary tract infections and serious diaper rashes, ending in more ER and doctor visits.

Additionally, the researchers found an association between lack of diapers and stress and depression in the mother — not that one causes the other, but the two often go together.

The researchers say that parents who cannot afford diapers should talk to their pediatricians, who may have suggestions on diaper banks and other places to get diapers at low or no cost.

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