Stony Brook Children's Hospital collecting diapers for parents in need
Diapers can be dropped off at any of Stony Brook Medicine's Women, Infant and Children Centers in East Setauket, Bay Shore, Hauppauge and Farmingdale. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Sashul9
The Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is hosting its first-ever diaper drive throughout Sept. 30. The hospital will collect diapers of all brands and sizes and provide them to parents in need.
“The drive is really about raising awareness around the lack of government programs that cover diapers,” says Kathy VanDeventer, lactation program coordinator at Stony Brook Medicine and the drive's founder.
There is an urgent need, she said. Ten percent of all mothers reported having to “stretch” diapers, which can lead to urinary tract infections and dermatitis in infants, according to a study by the Yale School of Medicine.
Lauren Brand, director of the Stony Brook Women, Infant and Children Program, has been giving the donated diapers out to parents.
“It is typically extremely common for mothers to call up asking for diapers and we have to tell them no,” Brand says.
Diapers can be dropped off at the hospital's gift shop and any of Stony Brook Medicine’s Women, Infant and Children Centers in East Setauket, Bay Shore, Hauppauge and Farmingville. For more information, call 631-444-2329.
