The Unfulfilled Potential of Diapers

The Huffington Post:

The baby diaper market — led by Proctor & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark — is projected to reach USD 52.2 billion by 2017. As the market grows, so does the investment in technology. In a recent article about the industry, Lauren Coleman Lochner paints a portrait of scientists in lab coats using saline solution to identify ‘pee-points’ on the quest for a perfect diaper. No leaks, no rash. As fathers, we appreciate this commitment to excellence, but we also have a simple, inexpensive, low-tech request to the CEOs of the leading diaper producers — help us remember to talk to our babies.

Neuroscientists at the Harvard Center on the Developing Child have found that simple interactions between parents and babies — like talking and singing — are critical to strengthening the developing brain. Research indicates that for optimal development, a baby should hear approximately 21,000 words per day (not counting TV and radio). When babies and toddlers are not engaged in consistent verbal interaction, it negatively affects their ability to learn throughout life.

To sleep-deprived parents, 21,000 can sound like an overwhelming number. Thankfully, there are innovators working to give moms and dads the nudge they need to keep the conversation going even in the inevitable moments of exhaustion and frustration.

Read the whole story: The Huffington Post