Urine collection from disposable diapers in premature infants: biochemical analysis.

Urine collection for analysis is commonly done in premature infants in sterile adhesive bags. Leakage due to poor adherence of the bag and irritation of the skin are frequent drawbacks with this technique. Urine retrieved from the fiber padding of disposable diapers has been shown to be reliable for biochemical analysis. However, the previous studies were done under laboratory conditions and the volume of urine used was much larger than a premature infant may void at one time. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of urine collected from disposable diapers for biochemical analysis in premature infants in the intensive care nursery.