Usually my blogs don’t talk about this kind of stuff, but I realised that a little informational could do.
Everyday life is becoming so busy that it is not very convenient for the mom on a duty to take off time to ‘clean up’ her baby because she has all that stuff to do. Growing up for me I would watch, mothers would take all those nappies and all those old sheets (when she bought new ones) for babies of course and wrap them around and then they would take safety pins and carefully fasten those nappies around the kid and put on a nice shorts so it would be firmly held up so carefully around her baby that when the child would pee, it would have to be several rounds of peeing, before it would finally be felt on the nappies or on the pair of shorts. Those were the ‘good days’. However, we come to realise that is so old fashioned that it is inconveniencing to have to go through that whole ‘ritual’ of having to put those nappies on, let alone having to change them. So our intelligent people helped us and got us new things to help save that time and give us that comfort. What they did not tell us is what I am going to share out in this article. I did a research on line and I thought i could put together the following information for your benefit.
According to Wikipedia,
A diaper (American English) or a nappy (Australian English and British English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to defecate or urinate without the use of a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to prevent soiling of outer clothing or the external environment. When diapers become soiled, they require changing, generally by a second person such as a parent or caregiver. Failure to change a diaper on a sufficiently regular basis can result in skin problems around the area covered by the diaper.
Diapers have been worn throughout human history. They are made of cloth or synthetic disposable materials. Cloth diapers are composed of layers of fabric such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, microfiber, or even plastic fibres such as PLA, and can be washed and reused multiple times. Disposable diapers contain absorbent chemicals and are thrown away after use. Plastic pants can be worn over diapers to avoid leaks, but with modern cloth diapers, this is no longer necessary.[citation needed]
Diapers are primarily worn by infants, toddlers, and by children who are not yet potty trained or who experience bedwetting. They are also used by adults with incontinence, in certain circumstances where access to a toilet is unavailable or for psychological reasons. These can include those of advanced age, patients bed-bound in a hospital, individuals with certain types of physical or mental disability, diaper fetishists, and people working in extreme conditions, such as astronauts. It is not uncommon for people to wear diapers under dry suits.
A disposable diaper (according to how products are made) consists of an absorbent pad sandwiched between two sheets of nonwoven fabric. The pad is specially designed to absorb and retain body fluids, and the nonwoven fabric gives the diaper a comfortable shape and helps prevent leakage. These diapers are made by a multi-step process in which the absorbent pad is first vacuum-formed, then attached to a permeable top sheet and impermeable bottom sheet. The components are sealed together by application of heat or ultrasonic vibrations. Elastic fibres are attached to the sheets to gather the edges of the diaper into the proper shape so it fits snugly around a baby’s legs and crotch. When properly fitted, the disposable diaper will retain body fluids which pass through the permeable top sheet and are absorbed into the pad. Since the 1970s, disposable diaper technology has continued to evolve. In fact, nearly 1,000 patents related to diaper design and construction have been issued in the last 25 years. Today’s diapers are not only highly functional, they include advanced features such as special sizing and colouring for specific gender and age, colour change indicators to show when the child is wet, and reattachable Velcro-type closures. These innovations have enabled disposables to capture a large share of the diaper market.
Benefits of using diapers.
- Convenience
For starters, disposable diapers are available in almost all retail shops. Regardless of which state you travel to, you are bound to find disposable diapers. Furthermore, when travelling, using disposable diapers is very convenient. Things can become chaotic if you carry the regular diapers. With disposable diapers, you do not need to walk around with wastes in your bag for cleaning later.
- Easy to use
This is one of the main benefits of using disposable diapers. The one responsible for using the Velcro on these diapers did well. Most disposable diapers have straps which make securing the diaper much quicker and easier than tying a cloth diaper with pins. Disposable diapers also come in different sizes which make it possible for use on all baby sizes and grownups alike.
- Leak protection
As compared to their counterparts, disposable diapers are more absorbent. They can be used more than three times before they can be changed. Unlike a cloth diaper, disposable diapers can be able to hold three times. Disposable diapers are also known to leak much less and this can be seen when a baby wears a diaper for long hours. Most disposable diapers today are being manufactured with a leak guard protection which keeps fluids locked into diapers which prevents the diaper from leaking.
Not all that glitters is gold, there is a downside to everything, literally. Diapers may have several disadvantages as seen below.
Toilet training can be harder: Toilet training usually involves certain sounds, cues and signals between parents and baby so that their child can learn to use the toilet for urination and defecation purpose. But in recent times use of disposable diapers have increased the period of child in diapers for a longer period of time as baby feels quite comfortable in diapers and moms and dads also don’t push them for the potty training. Thus this potty training lesson which was generally started earlier in past may get lost in modern times due to the use of these ultra-absorbing diapers
Toxicity can harm your baby: An average baby uses 7-8 diapers in a day which means that the diaper is used for almost 24 hours a day. During this time diapers comes in a direct and constant contact with skin of baby which means that any toxic chemicals present inside the diapers can easily enter in your baby’s system if he or she wears disposable diapers all the time. That is the reason ‘free time’ or ‘no diaper time’ is constantly advised.
Non –Environment friendly: Disposable diapers are considered as non-environment friendly or environmental hazardous products as they are harming the environment through their manufacture and disposal. Tons and tons of disposable diapers containing plastic, urine, feces, paper is constantly contributed from every household gets dumped in rivers and landfills annually. This is proving to be a huge environmental danger. Though companies are coming up with biodegradable disposable diapers, their accessibility is still limited.
Apart from the disadvantages listed above, the manufacture of diapers literally involves chemicals that are either used directly or occur as a result of manufacture process. There have been reports on the chemicals that are used to make disposable nappies soak more and still smell their best, but in the event of having collated very limited data, the same cannot be ascertained with certainty. Some of these chemicals include and may not be limited to:
Dioxins:
Most disposable diapers are bleached white with chlorine, (more information here) resulting in a by-product called dioxins that leach into the environment and the diapers. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known to science and are listed by the EPA as highly carcinogenic chemicals. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to dioxins may cause skin reactions and altered liver function, as well as impairments to the immune system, nervous system, endocrine system and reproductive functions.
Tributyl-tin (TBT)
Many disposable diapers contain a chemical called tributyl-tin (TBT). According to the EPA, this toxic pollutant is extremely harmful to aquatic (water) life and causes endocrine (hormonal) disruptions in aquatic organisms. TBT is a polluting chemical that does not degrade but remains in the environment and in our food chain. TBT is also an ingredient used in biocides to kill infecting organisms. Additionally, according to research published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, tributyl-tin can trigger genes that promote the growth of fat cells, causing obesity in humans.
Sodium Polyacrylate
Sodium polycarbonate is a super absorbent chemical compound that is used in the fillers of many disposable diapers. It is composed of cellulose processed from trees that is mixed with crystals of polyacrylate. This chemical absorbs fluids and creates surface tension in the lining of the diaper to bind fluids and prevent leakage. Sodium polyacrylate is often visible as small gel-like crystals on the skin of babies and is thought to be linked to skin irritations and respiratory problems. This chemical was removed from tampons due to toxic shock syndrome concerns. As it has only been used in diapers for the last two decades, there is not yet research on the long-term health effects of sodium polyacrylate on babies.
Conclusion
Disposable diapers seem to be a necessity in today’s lifestyle of convenience and temporary items. The choice of using diapers available in the market is based upon your own personal preferences, lifestyle habits and financial situation. The best thing to do is to know all the advantages and disadvantages of the disposable diapers and then to make an informed decision on what you think is best for your baby. Though they are commonly used, synthetic, single-use diapers often contain chemicals. A study published in the “Archives of Environmental Health” in 1999 states that disposable diapers should be considered to be a factor that may cause or worsen childhood asthma and respiratory problems. The soft, sensitive skin of babies is also prone to rashes and allergic reactions due to the chemicals in disposable diapers.
However, you as parents know that diaper companies are out there to earn a profit and they will do so by luring you to the benefits of using disposable nappies. Yet, making an informed decision is your responsibility. You can always consult your doctor if in case you need to clear certain doubts about using diapers. Further reading here and here.
My WO 