Superabsorbent material

• Superabsorbent material is widely used in personal care products to absorb fluids. It keeps moisture and wetness away from the skin, which helps promote skin health and consumer comfort.
  
  
• Superabsorbent material, like starch, is made from molecules that are banded together with millions of identical units.
  
  
• Superabsorbent material is able to absorb 100 times its weight in water. No other material can provide the same wetness protection, which helps keep skin dry and healthy.

Benefits of superabsorbent material in personal care products

• Personal care products containing superabsorbent material offer superior health and convenience benefits, and for some individuals, an improved quality of life for the following reasons:
  
  
  • Superabsorbent material keeps skin drier. Diapers absorb urine, which is locked in by superabsorbent material in the diaper’s core, keeping skin drier, healthier, and less prone to rashes. Drier skin results in maximum comfort for baby and significant convenience for the caretakers.
    
    
  • Superabsorbent material helps protect against diaper rash by keeping wetness away from the skin. Pediatricians and dermatologists recognize that keeping skin dry reduces the potential for diaper rash to occur.
    
    
  • Superabsorbent material helps control the spread of germs in group care settings. The leakage prevention aspect of diapers is very important for reducing the risk of fecal contamination in day care play areas and thus the potential for the spread of illness. Several day care medical studies have provided clear evidence that disposable diapers play an important role in reducing the risk of spread of gastrointestinal illnesses and are significantly more effective than double cloth diapers and plastic overpants.
    
    
  • Superabsorbent material offers improved quality of life and personal dignity. The lack of bladder or bowel control extends beyond infants and toddlers and can be experienced by other individuals due to illness, disability or age. Disposable products with superabsorbent material help many of these individuals and their caregivers maintain a quality of life with greater mobility and independence.

Scientific research

• All the scientific research available indicates that the use of superabsorbent material in personal care products is safe and effective.
  
  
• A number of studies have been published in recent years documenting the advantages of personal care products containing superabsorbent material:
  
  
  • Peer-reviewed research studies appearing in Pediatric Dermatology, the Journal of Pediatric Health Care and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology have confirmed that single-use diapers with superabsorbent material help reduce the incidence and severity of diaper rash by keeping skin dry and healthy.
    
    
  • Pediatric Nursing magazine reported in 1992 that the use of diapers containing superabsorbent material can significantly reduce the incidence of infection and diarrheal disease.
    
    
  • In 1991, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of research that found disposable diapers can minimize the potential for transmission of gastrointestinal tract disease.
    
    
  • A 1989 study published in Geriatric Nursing demonstrated that 65 percent of patients improved their skin conditions by using incontinence products containing superabsorbent material.

Public Endorsement

• It is estimated that more than 90 percent of American parents and a majority in other industrialized nations, along with thousands of hospitals and group care centers around the world, use disposable diapers containing superabsorbent material. In addition, there is an increasing use of this material in training pants and adult incontinence products worldwide.