Diapering the infant may be contraindicated until the defect has been repaired and healing is well advanced or epithelialization has taken place. The padding beneath the diaper area is changed as needed to keep the skin dry and free of irritation. When the nurse detects urinary retention (the bladder is still an abdominal organ in early infancy), CIC is employed. Because the bowel sphincter is frequently affected, there may be continual passage of stool, often misinterpreted as diarrhea, which is a constant irritant to the skin and a source of infection to the spinal lesion.