Free nappies are being made available to premature babies through pharmacies for the very first time.

Pampers has teamed up with supermarket Asda to make its Preemie Protection nappies available to collect from more than 250 Asda pharmacies across the UK.

The partnership is said to be a first for a UK retailer as nappies for babies born prematurely have previously only been available in hospitals or from healthcare providers.

The nappies will be available free of charge and parents can pick them up by visiting their nearest Asda pharmacy, which are open seven days a week.

Around 1 in 13 babies are currently born pre-term in the UK, meaning that 60,000 babies each year require specialised care and need smaller sized nappies to protect their delicate skin during very critical stages of their development.

Pampers Preemie Protection Nappies are the brand's smallest nappy and up to three times smaller than a regular nappy for a newborn baby born at full term.

They come in three sizes for babies weighing less than 1.1lbs up to 4lbs - at which point they would be able to move into the smallest sizes of standard newborn nappies.

Pampers says its Preemie nappies have been specially designed in collaboration with neonatal nurses to make them suitable for delicate skin with all over fastening for a customisable fit, which can adapt around medical leads and lines, helping to minimise disruption and irritation during nappy changes.

With no front or back, the nappies also have end-to-end absorbency to prevent any leaks, and the nappy liner is designed to pull wetness and runny mess away from a baby’s skin into the core of the nappy to help keep new sensitive skin dry.

Faisal Tuddy, Asda’s Superintendent Pharmacist said: “We are proud to be the first retailer to partner with Pampers, and hope that by offering these nappies for free to new parents from our 254 Asda Pharmacies, those early weeks with a premature baby are made slightly easier.

"Within our in-store pharmacies, customers can also speak to trained professionals for healthcare advice relating to baby and parent.”

The majority of Asda's 254 pharmacies are open 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and also on Sundays, but often with shorter Sunday trading hours. To locate your nearest Asda pharmacy and details of its opening hours click here.

To keep up-to-date with all the latest developments with your local hospitals and other health stories, click here.

For support, advice, events and all things to do with parenting in Kent, visit My Kent Family here.