Huggies preemie diapers being produced at Yuhan-Kimberly's Daejeon factory [Yuhan-Kimberly]
Huggies preemie diapers being produced at Yuhan-Kimberly's Daejeon factory [Yuhan-Kimberly]

7 million pads donated free to 46,826 preemies since 2017

Daejeon factory runs separate production; supplies 30-plus NICUs and homes nationwide

Premature births hit 10.2% in 2024, up from 6.7% a decade ago

Yuhan-Kimberly has surpassed 7 million pads in free diaper donations for premature infants — a milestone that comes at no small cost to its production schedule. Despite limited demand for the product, the company's Daejeon factory halts its main production line roughly every two months to manufacture the specialized diapers.

The company announced Tuesday that cumulative donations of ultra-small diapers through its Huggies Preemie Campaign had exceeded 7 million pads between July 2017 and July this year. A total of 46,826 premature infants received support during that period.

The Huggies preemie diaper is an ultra-small product roughly the size of a mobile phone. Precise quality control is essential because weight change is a key indicator of a premature infant's health, making even the diaper a medically significant item, the company says.

The production process also differs from that of standard diapers. About every two months, the Daejeon factory suspends its main product line, reconfigures its equipment and runs a dedicated production batch for preemie diapers. The structure requires separate equipment investment and a full process changeover for a product with limited demand.

Development of the preemie diaper began in 2011, when neonatal intensive care unit staff raised the need for a dedicated product. Yuhan-Kimberly conducted in-use studies with university hospital NICUs, built dedicated production facilities and launched the product in 2017.

The diapers are not sold commercially. Instead, they are supplied free of charge to NICUs at more than 30 general and university hospitals across the country. Families who still need the product after their infant is discharged can receive free supplies through the company's own online store, Momq.

[Yuhan-Kimberly]
[Yuhan-Kimberly]

Demand for preemie care is growing. According to the Ministry of Statistics' "2024 Birth Statistics," premature births — defined as deliveries before 37 weeks of gestation — totaled 24,144, accounting for 10.2 percent of all births last year. It was the first time the premature birth rate had exceeded 10 percent in the statistics' recorded history, marking a roughly 1.5-fold increase from 6.7 percent in 2014.

The rate was particularly high among multiple births, with 70.8 percent of twins and other multiples born in 2024 arriving before 37 weeks. The average age of mothers who gave birth before 37 weeks that year was 34.5, compared with 33.6 for mothers of full-term infants born between 37 and 41 weeks.

"The figure of 7 million pads carries within it the encouragement of countless medical staff, employees and preemie families," a Yuhan-Kimberly official said. "We will continue to expand the NICUs we support so we can be a source of strength for premature infants and their families."

Beyond preemie diapers, Yuhan-Kimberly donates 1 million sanitary pads annually and distributes educational materials on pad use designed for children with developmental disabilities. Through its "Keep Korea Green" campaign, launched in 1984, the company has planted and tended more than 58 million trees at home and abroad.


hong@heraldcorp.com