Pampers Celebrates the Launch of its Smallest Ever Nappy by Donating Three Million of Them to Premature Babies in the UK

Pampers has developed its smallest nappy yet, the Pampers Preemie Protection Size P3. Designed specifically to meet the needs of the tiniest little fighters, the Size P3 nappy is three sizes smaller than a regular newborn nappy and is suitable for babies weighing smaller than 1.8lb (800g). Pampers is demonstrating its continued commitment to the happy, healthy development of every baby in the UK, including those born prematurely, by donating three million^[1] of its smallest nappies to UK hospitals' Neonatal Units, giving every premature baby born access to free nappies.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/493893/Pampers_UK.jpg )

Approximately one in 11 babies (60,000)^[2] are born prematurely in the UK each year and due to advances in medical science, survival rates of these little fighters are increasing^[3]. Neo-natal nurse and developmental specialist Cherry Bond said "Premature babies have very unique requirements, which need to be valued and considered in every element of their care; the right nappy is no exception. The nappies that are currently available do not fit the smallest babies properly so are often cut and folded to size, which can cause discomfort and impede optimal development". That's why Pampers has designed a range of nappies specifically to meet the needs of premature babies, and is donating them to hospitals.

Pampers is partnering with the UK's leading charity for babies born premature or sick, Bliss to get the nappies to the babies that need them, initially partnering with a limited number of hospitals across the country, before rolling out nationwide to all UK hospitals from summer 2017. The brand is also asking all parents to share photos of their little ones with a clenched fist on social media, to celebrate the amazing fighting spirit that premature babies show every day, and will be donating £1 to the charity for every picture shared using #powerofbabies.

Together Pampers and Bliss aim to support the littlest fighters in the Neonatal Unit and those who care for them. Caroline Lee-Davey, CEO of Bliss said, "We were thrilled to hear about the new range of Pampers nappies for premature babies, which will make a real difference to the lives of babies and those that care for them. Caring for such a small and fragile baby can be daunting, but Bliss knows that getting families more actively involved in caring for their premature baby aids development, creates valuable bonding time and helps babies get better faster. The nappy change is one way parents can take a lead and nappies that are fit for purpose will make this so much easier."

New Pampers Preemie Protection nappies are designed to minimise disruption to help with sleep, positioning, and medical care for premature babies. Regular newborn nappies currently used by Neonatal nurses have a wide core that can push baby's legs apart, not allowing baby's hips and legs to rest comfortably, which 99% of nurses agree disrupts healthy growth and development^[4].

The happy and healthy development of every baby, including the tiniest little fighters, is our priority, that is why when nurses asked us to design a nappy for the most vulnerable babies, we rose to the challenge" said Ian Morley, Commercial Director at P&G. "It took us three years and over 10,000 hours of research to develop the new P3 nappy, which is designed to provide comfort and protection for the smallest babies. As a parent of two preemies myself, I am extremely proud that we have created a nappy which meets the very unique needs of premature babies and those that care for them".

Pampers Preemie Protection nappies are available in sizes P1 (<5lb/ 2.7kg) and P2 (<4lb/ 1.8kg) and P3 (<1.8lb/ 0.8kg) and will start to be donated to hospitals from Summer 2017.

To arrange product sample delivery, UK hospitals are advised to contact pampers.preemie@skyes.com .

About Pampers® For more than 50 years, parents have trusted Pampers to care for their babies. Pampers is a part of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) and is the #1-selling nappy worldwide. Every day, more than 25 million babies in 100 countries around the world wear Pampers. Pampers offers a complete range of nappies, wipes and training pants designed to provide protection and comfort for every stage of baby's development. Visit http://www.pampers.com to learn more about Pampers products, join the Pampers Rewards program, and find ideas and information to help your baby get the most out of love, sleep and play.

About Procter & Gamble (P&G) UK and Ireland

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene® and SK-II®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.co.uk for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands in the UK & Ireland.

About Bliss

Bliss is the UK's leading charity for babies born premature or sick. They believe that premature and sick babies deserve the best chance of survival and quality of life, and aim to make this a reality by:

• Supporting parents of babies born premature or sick to be as involved as possible in care and decision-making for their babies.
• Supporting neonatal professionals to deliver high quality baby-centred care and involve parents actively in their babies' care.
• Placing premature and sick babies' voices at the heart of decision-making to ensure that their best interests are always put first.
• Supporting research that can tangibly improve outcomes for babies born premature or sick.
• For more information, visit http://www.bliss.org.uk

About Cherry Bond

Cherry originally trained as a children's nurse and has spent the majority of her career specialising in and working with both preterm and sick infants needing highly specialised care in the neonatal unit. She pioneered an approach called 'Positive Touch' and the 5-step dialogue, which promotes cue-based nurturing care involving parents at every level of their baby's development. She is also a qualified infant massage therapist and has taught infant massage to Neonatal parents and their babies for several decades.