Time for a Change?
By Laurie Diwakar and Lauren Walker


When it comes to diapers, there seem to be endless options. However, the only choices really are disposable and reusable.  Many parents are reconsidering their options and have decided that it is time for a positive change.
 
There are many benefits to using cloth.  Cloth diapers are better for your baby's skin because they are breathable, free of chemicals, and gentle on sensitive body parts. Using cloth diapers instead of disposables reduces the occurrence of diaper rash. The choice to use cloth diapers makes a massive impact on the quality of your environment. Not to mention the copious amounts of money saved by using cloth diapers!

 
Dispelling myths of disposables

Most parents choose to use disposables for their “ease of use,” with no idea what they are actually putting on their baby’s bottom. Disposable diapers contain many “ingredients” that big corporations try to keep the consumer from knowing about. SOME of them include:  petrolatum, stearyl alcohol, cellulose tissue, elastic, gel and perfume. There are always “green disposables” made without chlorine, fragrances, or latex, most have sodium polyacrylate (SAP)(1) , an absorbent gel that’s a chemical. SAP was banned from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome but studies have not been done on SAPs effect on babies. Also ALL these diapers contain Polyolefin (plastic) film.
 
Gdiapers have been thought to be a good option for the “cloth scared” parents. Their inserts claim to be compostable,  but they are not biodegradable, nor are they natural with their chemical SAP.

SAP gels claim to be non-toxic.  However these cross-linked polyacrylate polymers are linked to an increase in childhood asthma and a decrease in sperm count and increase in scrotal temperature among boys and may cause problems later in life.  In one study, they found that on average, the in-plastic temperatures were approximately 1.8°F higher than in cloth. The babies in cloth had cooler recorded temperatures (2) other scientific studies have linked disposable diapers and their toxic substances to the increase of asthma in today’s society. Laboratory rats exposed to disposable diapers straight out of the package have suffered increased eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as bronchial constriction similar to that of an asthma attack.(4)

 
Disposa-not?

Disposable diapers are not really disposable at all. This information, from the real diaper association shows the impact disposables has on our landfills.
 
We estimate currently that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every year in the USA. Of which over 92% end up in the landfill.  Against manufacturers advice, less than 0.5% of fecal waste is disposed of properly in the toilet/sewage system before the diaper is discarded.
It is estimated to take 500 years to decompose. Long after your great, great, great grandchildren will be gone. Disposable diapers are the third largest single item in landfills. In a house with 1 child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste(3).

Disposables are expensive; you can expect to pay $2,500-$4000 for disposables from birth through potty training.


R-evolution of cloth
 
Cloth diapering has come a long way from your mothers days of pricked fingers and artful folding of diapers. Velcro or snap closings have done away with pins, making some cloth diapers as easy to change as disposable diapers.
Modern choices are simply to fasten and don't require any folding. Easy enough for dads! These come in a variety of sizes and fabrics and are not only functional, but durable. 
 
Some think that its a lot of extra laundry or work, but what is another one or two washes a week. This is less work than earning the money to buy disposables. Cloth is better for your baby and the environment, they can save you THOUSANDS of dollars, especially when you use them on more than one baby (you can‘t do that with disposables!) . Babies in cloth diapers have less diaper rashes and because they actually feel wet, they tend to potty train earlier; bonus! There are so many pros to cloth diapering Cloth really should be the first choice, but many parents don’t even consider it… Your baby’s bottom will be in diapers 24 hours a day for the first 2-4 years of life, it’s a big decision, but it shouldn’t be a hard one.

For more information on cloth diapers visit www.rearz.ca

Laurie Diwakar B.A. ENG PSYCH is a mother of 3 with more than 9 years of experience in the natural health industry.  As a motivated entrepreneur she has committed the last 4 years to developing and testing products that work for your, your family and the environment.  Her main focus is a balance between quality, comfort and health at a reasonable price.

Copyright RearZ 2010





(a) http://chemistry.about.com/b/2007/02/06/how-diapers-work-why-they-leak.htm
(2) http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,4563,00.html
(3) http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php
(4) These findings appear in a scientific report concluded by Dr. Rosalind C. Anderson of Anderson Laboratories, Inc. in Vermont.
Credits
*Acute Respiratory Effects of Diaper Emissions, Archives of Environmental Health, 54, October 1999