Nappies ease ‘rough journey’
Little Millie McKenzie will have lots of childhood mementoes when she grows up, and there will be one special item among them – a tiny nappy.
Born at 26 weeks weighing 965 grams last December, she stayed at Auckland City Hospital for more than three months and arrived home in Howick, East Auckland, just a week ago.
She is among the first New Zealand babies to have worn the new Huggies micro premmie nappy while at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
‘‘I was terrified, scared, and probably a bit naive to what having a 26-week baby would mean,’’ mum Lisa McKenzie says.
Millie went straight to NICU, covered in lines and tubes to keep her alive. She was so small her father Jono McKenzie’s wedding ring could have almost fit around her wrist.
The couple could only check on her through the glass of the incubator in the first days, and let the doctors and nurses take care of the newborn.
The micro nappy Millie used to wear is about the size of a tennis ball. Huggies also has a nano version, for babies weighing under 900 grams.
These super-small nappies, launched in the US in February 2017, are now used at Auckland, Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch hospitals after successful trials.
They are not only devised to fit babies snugly, but also to protect their delicate skin. Other features include gentle fasteners and room for tubes and lines.
Millie is now 3300g and big enough for a regular newborn’s nappy, but Lisa still keeps one of the tiny ones as a keepsake.
‘‘It was a rough journey. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but thanks to the hospital, the Neonatal Trust and everyone. We’ve come out the other side and we’re rewarded with a pretty healthy baby.’’