A changing table is a small raised platform designed to allow a person to change a child's

diaper A diaper (, North American English) or a nappy (British English, Australian English, Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to p ...

. It has been estimated that a child will have used 2400 diapers before it has become 1 year old, which equates to about 6.6 diapers per day. Most children stop using diapers some time between 2 and 5 years of age. It is common to use a changing table until the child is around 2 years old, however some use it considerably longer or shorter. As children become older they may become more mobile and active, and then some parents choose to do the changing procedure on the floor instead.

Safety

Experts recommend that a changing table have a safety edge to prevent the child from falling down in case the operator is not watching the child. However, no safety device is reliable and experts have warned operators not to turn away when the child is lying on the changing table, but if one has to turn away they recommend that the operator keep one hand on the baby in case it suddenly moves or starts to crawl.

Public changing tables

Many

public restroom A public toilet, restroom, bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets (or urinals) and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils or pris ...

s have public tables available should a diaper change be required in a public place. They are typically made of hard

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

and rest on hinges so they can be folded into the wall when not in use. They are usually not enclosed in a stall. These became popular in the 1990s. Originally, they were mainly found in women's restrooms. Through the lobbying efforts of Eric Letts, a founder of the Fair Parenting Project, it became commonplace to find them in men's rooms across Canada and the United States. In 2016, President Obama signed the BABIES Act into law, requiring changing tables in all publicly accessible, federal buildings in the United States.

References

Tables (furniture) Babycare {{Furniture-stub