Diaper Need: A Change for Better Health.

Although diapers are essential for child health, nearly one in three American families cannot afford them (National Diaper Bank Network, 2013). A gap referred to as diaper need, the difference between the numbers of diapers infants require to stay clean and comfortable less the amount of diapers a family can afford without cutting back on other basic essentials, can have severe consequences for infants parents, and society. Within the context of the need for and economics of diapers, these severe consequences alert pediatric nurses to the impact they can have to bridge the diaper gap, thereby helping to alleviate diaper-related conditions and providing holistic, family-centered care.