Absorbent nappies

  For many new parents, finding the right absorbent nappies for their baby is a real challenge. Absorbance of disposable nappies is one of the most important aspects to determine if you have bought the best nappy for your baby. You don’t want the nappy to leak. It is not necessarily the most expensive nappies that are the most absorbent.  

What are nappies made of and how does it work?

Absorbance of a nappy is created by two main components. An important material is cellulose, this is the pulp inside the core of a nappy which is the absorbent part. This pulp also creates the bulky and soft effect. Cotton and cotton wool are pure cellulose.

In addition, absorbent nappies are made with super-absorbent polymers. This is a super-absorbent powder that can absorb up to 30x its own weight. In absorbed state, it looks like a little ball of gel. Combined with the cotton wool/cellulose this forms the core of the nappy.

The extent to which the pulp and the super-absorbent polymers form the core of the nappy differs per manufacturer. A nappy with more pulp will feel softer but have less absorbance, while a super-absorbent nappy will contain more absorbent granules but feel less comfortable and soft. In addition to absorbing moisture, it is important for the moisture not to flow back to the outer later and keep baby’s bottom dry as long as possible.

Measuring absorbance

Absorbance can be easily measured. This is usually done by 3 indicators:

• Retention: this is the amount of moisture, measured in grams, that is absorbed by the nappy under certain pressure. The more moisture is absorbed, the higher the retention rate.
• Rewet: this is the amount of moisture, measured in grams, that flows back to the outer layer. For each nappy size, no more than 1 gram of moisture should flow back. Even half a gram of flowback can cause wet buttocks. And wet buttock increase th erisk of nappy rash.    
• Combined rewet: this is the amount of moisture, measured in grams, that flows back to the outer layer after 4 consecutive absorptions. For each nappy size, no more than 2 grams of moisture should flow back.

Laboratory research shows that the absorbance of GhaZoo quality nappies is up to 20% better than the target value for disposable nappies. Exceptionally good!  

Absorbent nappies per size and nappy consumption

There is a correlation between nappy size, absorbency, and nappy consumption. Your newborn needs to be fed every 3-4 hours, but won’t urinate a lot. In this phase, the nappy tends to stay on for these 3-4 hours. The absorbency of the small nappy sizes is therefore always less than a larger size nappy.  

As your baby grows, the frequency of urinating reduces, whereas the quantity of urine increases. This means that the absorbency of the nappy also increases significantly. Nappy sizes 5 or 6 are more absorbent and must be able to stay on for 12 hours so your child stays dry at night. When your child is ready for size 5 or 6, you will only use around 4-5 nappies a day. This is an average of course, and some children urinate more than the average.  

Leakage and fit

A nappy must have a contoured fit around the waist and the legs. If a nappy does not fit properly, the chance of leakage increases. Research has shown that the most common cause for leakage is the wrong size nappy. Leaking usually occurs around the legs or at the back. However, the nappy must have sufficient elasticity to be comfortable.

Nappy rash

As the frequency of your baby wetting or soiling their nappy increases, the absorbency of nappies becomes more important and there is a higher risk of nappy rash. With nappy rash, your baby’s bottom is red and can feel sore to your baby.

Fortunately, nappy rash is easy to prevent. The most important solution is to change the nappy more often. It also helps to help leave your baby’s bottom to dry in the air for a while before putting on a new nappy, so the skin has time to breathe. A zinc ointment like Sudocrem can be used as abarrier.

GhaZoo nappies

GhaZoo has 30 years of experience in the market, and we know what requirements a premium quality nappy must meet. We use advanced absorption technology and the softest materials so your baby will feel comfortable and you won’t have to worry.

GhaZoo nappies are of excellent quality and we’re not just saying that. Research shows that our nappies meet the highest standards and all materials used are dermatologically approved.

Quality is continually tested with a focus on registration of raw materials, detection of harmful substances, and dermatological & microbiological screenings. All pulp used in our nappies comes from FSC sustainable forests. Our nappies are also free of parabens, perfumes, chlorine, bleach, etc.

Would you like to try GhaZoo first? Order a sample pack!

Have we got your attention, and would you like to try our absorbent nappies? You can! GhaZoo offers a sample pack  for only € 9.99. This sample pack will provide you with nappies for at least a week and a free pack of wet wipes!

Do you like our nappies or baby wipes? Then you can choose a single purchase or a subscription. With the subscription you get a substantial discount of € 5 per nappy bundle or € 4 per package of baby wipes.