INTERESTING DIAPER FACTS

INTERESTING DIAPER FACTS

Why choose cloth diapers? There are so many reasons. Cloth Diapers are soft against your baby’s skin. Cloth diapers are also free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers. Our common sense tells us that cloth diapers are the ultimate in recycling because they are used again and again, not entering a landfill until they are nothing but rags. Of course, some people want more than this common sense approach--they want facts. Here are a few well-documented facts to help inform your choice.

DISPOSABLE DIAPER FACTS:

1. The instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that all faecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use (disposable) diapers goes into the sewage system.
2. Over 92% of all single-use (disposable) diapers end up in a landfill.
3. No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years when exposed to sunlight & air. Since diapers are dumped into landfills, covered, and not exposed to sun or air at all, nobody knows how many hundreds – or even thousands – of years they can be around. Without sun & air, even so-called “ECO-FRIENDLY” diapers labelled biodegradable DO NOT biodegrade in landfills, and cause just as much of a problem as regular diapers.
4. Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste.  In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.
5. Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.
6. Manufacturing & using disposable diapers uses 2.3 times more water than manufacturing & laundering cloth diapers.
7. Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.
8. Disposable diapers are full of bacteria, viruses and vaccines and pose a threat to wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole.
9. Disposable diapers also contain a toxin Tributyl-tin (TBT) known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.
10. Disposable diapers contain Sodium Polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. This substance known to cause toxic shock syndrome was banned from tampons in 1985. Even the “eco-friendly” diapers contain this chemical, too. This substance can stick to baby’s genitals, causing allergic reactions & can cause severe skin irritation, oozing blood from perineum and scrotal tissues, fever, vomiting & staph infections in babies. These are the small, shiny, gelatinous crystals that you will sometimes find in your baby’s private parts during diaper changing.
11. Studies have shown that the chemical emissions from disposables can cause respiratory problems in children.
12. Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin which is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is an extremely toxic by-product of the diaper bleaching process.
13. Baby’s poorly developed outer skin layer absorbs about 50 different chemicals if you use disposable diapers & wipes.
14. The plastic in all disposable diapers contains phthalates. These are the plastic softeners that were recently banned from children’s teething rings and other toys because of toxicity. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, meaning they mimic human hormones and send false signals to the body.
15. Super – absorbent disposable diapers facilitates less diaper changing, which leads to rashes because of exposure to the super – absorbent chemicals, bacteria, and ammonia from accumulated urine in the diaper.
16. Disposable diapers raise the temperature of a baby boy’s scrotum far above body temperature, to the point that it can stop his testicles from developing normally.

CLOTH DIAPER FACTS:

Reusable cloth diapers offer a solution to all the cost, health & environmental problems of disposables, but their benefits have been hidden by the huge market of disposable diapers. Today’s cloth diapers are as effective as any disposable, and they come in lots of styles, sizes and super – cute colours and prints! With Velcro, Snaps & soft PUL covers, the old diaper pins and sweaty, plastic pants are now a relic of the past. Cloth diapers are safer for the environment and your child, healthier, less expensive, and even helps with potty training…? Sounds like a dream come true for every parent!

1. Cloth Diapers leads to earlier potty training for your infant. Using a cloth diaper allows your infant to feel the wet sensation against their skin and become more aware of when they have gone potty.
2. Cloth Diapers saves money. The initial investment in cloth diapers is more expensive, but once you own cloth diapers, you have them for life. No need to be constantly buying disposables!
3. Cloth Diapers allows convenience. No trips to the store when you are out of disposables. Cloth diapers are always on hand, and if parents see they are running low on clean diapers, they can just wash a load. There is no need to run out to the store in the middle of the night.
4. Cloth diapers allows for more breathability. They are made of breathable fabrics and results in less skin irritation and rashes.
5. Cloth diapers are also highly absorbent, but without the aid of chemicals. They reduces the baby’s exposure to chemicals that’s why considered safer and healthier diapering system.
6. A cloth diaper is reused an average of 200 to 250 times, while a disposable diaper is used once and discarded. Once retired from diaper duty, a cloth diaper has a myriad of other practical uses too. Every parent knows that a cloth diaper makes the ideal burp cloth too.
7. Cloth diapers are so easy to care for – with inventions like diaper sprayer and flushable/reusable liners, the rewards are worth the little bit of extra work.
8. Cloth diapers actually leak less than disposables. Modern cloth diapers are totally leak-proof diapering systems that you can depend on! It’s true that many moms actually switch to cloth diapers because they were fed up with disposables leaking.
9. Cloth diapers comes in cute, fashionable designs and styles. There are so many designs and styles of diapers to choose from it makes a cloth diapering a fun fashion statement.
10. Cloth diapers are made in an eco-friendly manner with materials that are safe to be used on baby’s skin and can be laundered at home and reused over and over again.
11. Cloth diapers are infinitely more comfortable than disposable diapers because they are made of soft & natural materials like cotton, microfiber fleece, hemp, wool or even bamboo. Many cloth diapers have been developed by parents which means that only materials that are safe for baby are used to make these diapers.
12. Cloth diaper parents are known to keep the entire set for the next baby, since the diaper remains soft & fluffy after years of washing too.
13. Cloth diapers are excellent for travel too. Regular users swear by their stock of cloth diapers when they plan a holiday or vacation. Your diaper pail will take care of the messy ones and baby will travel in the comfort of wearing natural fabric and experience absorbency that allows you to change them as you would with disposable diapers.

CONCLUSION 

Cloth diapers are a cost-effective and feasible alternative to diapering a baby. Many parents are quick to dismiss this option because they are unaware of all of the benefits that cloth diapers have to offer. Parents may change their minds if they learn about the many different types of cloth diapers available and understand the advantages they have to baby’s health, the environment, and the family budget. With cloth diapers, parents can end up saving thousands of rupees between the time the baby is born to the time they are potty trained.

Information Source : http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php