CINCINNATI — Pampers has unveiled its smallest premature baby diaper using a design developed with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses.

The Procter & Gamble baby care brand said Thursday that the new Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diaper is three sizes smaller than newborn diapers, enabling it to fit the tiniest and most vulnerable premature babies born in the second trimester and weighing as little as one pound.

P&G noted that Pampers is the first major diaper brand to offer a diaper specifically for babies this small. Previously, Pampers Preemie Swaddlers were only available in sizes P-1 (Preemie Small) and P-2 (Preemie Extra Small).

Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diapers are now available in select hospitals in the United States, and they are slated to become available to hospitals nationwide and in Canada before the end of this year.

To mark the development, Pampers has teamed up with March of Dimes, a national organization dedicated to finding the causes of preterm birth, for the “Touches of Love” campaign this fall.

“Pampers has been dedicated to the happy, healthy development of babies since our very first diaper more than 50 years ago,” stated E. Yuri Hermida, vice president of North America baby care for P&G. “In 2002, we were the first major diaper manufacturer to create a diaper for premature babies. When nurses asked us to design a diaper for babies as tiny as one pound, everyone at Pampers was inspired to create our best diaper yet for the most vulnerable babies.”

Advances in medical science have enabled younger and smaller babies to survive, which has created the need for even smaller preemie diapers that are also specially designed to meet their unique needs, according to P&G. In a recent survey, nurses told Pampers that currently available premature diapers don’t conform to a premature baby’s shape and proper positioning for optimal development.

Pampers Preemie Swaddlers Size P-3 diapers are designed to minimize disruption to help with sleep, positioning and medical care for premature infants. They feature a contoured narrow core to help with developmentally optimal hip positioning. Other diapers used by NICU nurses today have a wide core that can push baby’s legs apart and don’t allow baby’s hips and legs to rest comfortably, P&G said.

The new Size P-3 diaper represents three years and more than 10,000 hours of research by Pampers product development and consumer research teams, including in-depth research with over 100 NICU nurses, according to the company.

“At Pampers, we’ve worked closely with hospitals, pediatricians and nurses for 40 years, and we know that a gentle, loving touch is essential to babies’ health and development,” commented Amy Tally, senior scientist for Pampers hospital diaper development at P&G. “For our newest and smallest preemie diaper, we set out to meet the very unique needs of premature babies and the nurses who care for them. The result is a diaper designed to provide comfort and protection without getting in the way of medical care.”

Pampers diapers are designed with “blankie-like” softness and gentle flex cuffs to improve comfort for babies and help support skin-to-skin care in the NICU, P&G said. All Pampers Swaddlers diapers also have the Absorb Away Liner that pulls away wetness and runny mess — a common side effect of babies on antibiotics — from baby’s skin. The new Pampers also allow for all-over fastening and are equally absorbent in the front and back, giving nurses the flexibility to change and position the diaper to accommodate for medical leads, lines and other interventions. As a result, nurses no longer have to cut or fold larger diapers to find the right fit for the smallest of babies.

“The care and comfort of these tiny premature babies couldn’t be more important, and Pampers has designed a diaper that I believe meets their needs better than anything available to us today,” stated Linda Lacina, infant developmental specialist and education specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. “With a contoured and customizable fit, nurses can position these new diapers in a way that’s best for each baby, while not hindering medical care. Having a Pampers diaper as part of the NICU also helps the experience feel more ‘normal’ to moms and dads, which is important, too.”