| Disposable
diapers were initially heralded as a major step towards freedom
for mothers. However, many wise moms are returning to cloth
diapers in the face of new information about the risks of
disposable diapers. While disposable diapers may save some
time, saving the environment from industrial chemicals (about
48 are thought to emanate from disposable diapers) is undoubtedly
more important. |
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- Environmentally,
even taking into account the energy required to wash and
dry them, cloth diapers are the better choice.
An average American baby will use around 8,000 single-use
diapers in its infancy. More than 20 billion of
these go into our landfills each year, costing the U.S.
more than $350, 000,000. The number of trees and
the amount of plastic used to manufacture single-use diapers
is mind-boggling, as is the money spent on their advertising
and promotion.
- The incidence of
diaper rash drops to roughly 7% with cloth diapers, and
climbs to 61% with single-use diapers. Your baby
is more comfortable and less likely to develop infections.
When baby is wet or dirty, s/he will let you know so that
you will change the diaper often enough to prevent the
diaper rash from developing.
- Physiological development
is not affected by the diaper. There are on-going
studies to determine if an increase in male infertility
is linked to the use of "disposable" diapers,
whose air-tight plastic layer holds in heat, causing body
temperature to rise more than is healthy.
- Babies diapered in
cloth diapers typically become potty trained as much as
six to eight months earlier than babies diapered in single-use
diapers. This is because the chemical gel
in the "disposables" creates an illusion of
dryness and comfort for the baby. Even though the
baby's most delicate area is surrounded by urine or feces
(see above, "diaper rash"), the baby is comfortable,
so s/he does not know when a toilet is needed.
- Economically, using
cloth diapers is like buying a home, using "disposables"
is like renting: you are simply putting your
dollars in corporate pockets. If you've invested
in cloth diapers they are yours. You have equity!
Your net worth has increased! You can use the diapers
again and again AND THEN you can sell them, recycle them
as rags, pass them along to other parents or donate them
to a shelter. On top of that, the upfront investment
will very likely cost you no more than single-use diapers,
and will probably cost less.
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