Association between the frequency of disposable diaper changing and urinary tract infection in infants.
BACKGROUND
Often diapers are not changed after infants pass urine.


OBJECTIVE
To define the association between the frequency of changing diapers and urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants.


METHODS
Urine samples were tested in 131 infants (aged from 2 months to 2.5 years) who had a temperature > or =38 degrees C. The authors investigated the number of times diapers were changed daily. A total of 128 infants, excluding 3 cases, were divided into 2 groups: group A, without UTI (n = 96); group B, with UTI (n = 32). The number of times diapers were changed was compared between the groups.


RESULTS
In group A and group B, the number of times diapers were changed daily were 7.5 +/- 1.4 and 4.7 +/- 1.4, respectively. The number of times diapers were changed was significantly lower (P < .0001) in group B than in group A.


CONCLUSIONS
Among infants wearing disposable diapers, there is an increased risk of UTI as the frequency of changing diapers decreases.
Sugimura
Tetsu
T
Sugimura Children's Medical Clinic, Ghikugo, Japan. sugimura@kurume.ktarn.or.jp
Tananari
Yoshifumi
Y
Ozaki
Yukiko
Y
Maeno
Yasuki
Y
Tanaka
Seiji
S
Ito
Shinichi
S
Kawano
Keiko
K
Masunaga
Kumiko
K
D002675:Child, Preschool; D041381:Diapers, Infant; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*