Some Surprising FACTS About Cotton Diapers
Diapers are clothing, worn over the most sensitive part of a baby's body during the most vulnerable part of childhood. They obviously ought to be the best, safest, most comfortable clothing you can find. Natural cotton diapers have been tested and proven by babies for more than a thousand years.
So, you thought the days of using cotton diapers from a diaper service were long gone?! Not true. Thousands of today's moms and dads have made the natural choice of cotton for their little babies' bottoms. Here are a few of the reasons:
Fact #1
Cotton feels good. You know that. Most of us prefer to wear cotton over anything else. Who, if given the choice, would choose plastic and wood pulp over soft, comfortable cotton underwear? Parents should ask themselves: What diaper can best respond to the four functions of the skin in preventing diaper rash? What diaper is safer? More economical? Convenient? And, finally, because of the discomfort it can cause, how seriously can diaper rashes affect the health of an infant? Cotton breathes, letting air circulate to baby's skin. And, unlike chemical-laden disposables, cotton diapers are naturally absorbent. It also means less friction on tender skin, reducing the likelihood of diaper rash.
Fact #2
18 billion disposable diapers are thrown in landfills each year, taking as many as 500 years to decompose. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste landfills, after newspapers and food beverage containers-a significant fact, considering they are a single product used by a limited portion of the population. It takes upwards of 82,000 tons of plastic (not to mention the petroleum that's used to manufacture the plastic) and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp (or a quarter-million trees) to manufacture the disposable diapers that cover the bottoms of 90% of the babies born in the US. Yikes!
Fact #3
Cotton diapers make 6000% less solid waste than disposables. They use 500% less energy and use 1000% less in materials. Cotton diapers are used and re-used about 200 times, instead of using a disposable diaper just one time and then throwing it away. And there really is no such thing as "away" anymore. Where does that diaper actually go? According to the Environmental Action Foundation of Washington, D.C., "Parents have been deluged by confusing studies and advertising from the disposable diaper industry. Parents should remember that reusing materials is the best way to prevent waste and conserve resources."
Fact #4
Babies whose bottoms are kept in cotton diapers are actually 5 times less likely to develop diaper rash than those that wear disposable diapers. In 1955, 100% of babies born in America wore cotton diapers and only 7% of them experienced diaper rash. However, in 1998, with 90% of American babies in disposable diapers, the occurrence of diaper rash increased to 78%. In fact, the super-absorbent gel in disposable diapers is a chemical that contains sodium polyacrylate--it's the same chemical that was removed from tampons in 1985 because of it's link to toxic shock syndrome. If you've changed a baby in a disposable diaper, you may have noticed this gel as clear beads on the baby's genitals. No studies have been conducted to evaluate the long-term effects of this gel on a baby's reproductive organs.
Fact # 5
"DRY" is not "CLEAN" despite what certain disposable manufacturers lead you to believe, and certainly clean is more important. A dirty diaper is a dirty diaper, no matter how it feels. To protect your baby's sensitive skin from chafing, irritation, and painful rashes, change your baby soon after wetting. Although a disposable diaper may seem dry, bacteria from the urine is still in contact with baby's skin. The less frequent diaper changing encouraged by disposable diaper use (upwards of five hours on average) has caused an increase in diaper rash. The plastic in disposable diapers also prevents baby's skin from breathing naturally. As the bacterial breakdown of urine occurs, it produces ammonia. In a cloth diaper with a nylon or wool cover, air is able to circulate and ammonia can escape. But a disposable diaper traps that ammonia against baby's skin, again causing diaper rash or even reddish urine burns.
Fact #6
Today's cotton diapers are easier to use than ever. Gone are the days of giant, one-ply diapers that require a degree in origami to fold down to size. Pre-folded cotton diapers are simple to use, require no rinsing or soaking and, by using Velcro-close diaper covers, you don't even need pins or rubber pants.
Fact #7
Last, but in no way least, using cotton diapers is less expensive than using disposables. And what could be more convenient? You never have to run to the store at the last minute because you've run out of diapers. You never have to carry that big box of disposable diapers home from the store. And you always have the peace of mind of knowing that you're doing the right thing for your baby and the earth that he or she will inherit.
The bottom line is that choosing cloth diapers doesn't have to be a daunting prospect-it's simple, it's convenient, it's inexpensive.
Keep your baby -- and our earth -- happy and healthy!
Link: http://www.betterwaydiaperservice.com/facts.htm
So, you thought the days of using cotton diapers from a diaper service were long gone?! Not true. Thousands of today's moms and dads have made the natural choice of cotton for their little babies' bottoms. Here are a few of the reasons:
Fact #1
Cotton feels good. You know that. Most of us prefer to wear cotton over anything else. Who, if given the choice, would choose plastic and wood pulp over soft, comfortable cotton underwear? Parents should ask themselves: What diaper can best respond to the four functions of the skin in preventing diaper rash? What diaper is safer? More economical? Convenient? And, finally, because of the discomfort it can cause, how seriously can diaper rashes affect the health of an infant? Cotton breathes, letting air circulate to baby's skin. And, unlike chemical-laden disposables, cotton diapers are naturally absorbent. It also means less friction on tender skin, reducing the likelihood of diaper rash.
Fact #2
18 billion disposable diapers are thrown in landfills each year, taking as many as 500 years to decompose. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste landfills, after newspapers and food beverage containers-a significant fact, considering they are a single product used by a limited portion of the population. It takes upwards of 82,000 tons of plastic (not to mention the petroleum that's used to manufacture the plastic) and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp (or a quarter-million trees) to manufacture the disposable diapers that cover the bottoms of 90% of the babies born in the US. Yikes!
Fact #3
Cotton diapers make 6000% less solid waste than disposables. They use 500% less energy and use 1000% less in materials. Cotton diapers are used and re-used about 200 times, instead of using a disposable diaper just one time and then throwing it away. And there really is no such thing as "away" anymore. Where does that diaper actually go? According to the Environmental Action Foundation of Washington, D.C., "Parents have been deluged by confusing studies and advertising from the disposable diaper industry. Parents should remember that reusing materials is the best way to prevent waste and conserve resources."
Fact #4
Babies whose bottoms are kept in cotton diapers are actually 5 times less likely to develop diaper rash than those that wear disposable diapers. In 1955, 100% of babies born in America wore cotton diapers and only 7% of them experienced diaper rash. However, in 1998, with 90% of American babies in disposable diapers, the occurrence of diaper rash increased to 78%. In fact, the super-absorbent gel in disposable diapers is a chemical that contains sodium polyacrylate--it's the same chemical that was removed from tampons in 1985 because of it's link to toxic shock syndrome. If you've changed a baby in a disposable diaper, you may have noticed this gel as clear beads on the baby's genitals. No studies have been conducted to evaluate the long-term effects of this gel on a baby's reproductive organs.
Fact # 5
"DRY" is not "CLEAN" despite what certain disposable manufacturers lead you to believe, and certainly clean is more important. A dirty diaper is a dirty diaper, no matter how it feels. To protect your baby's sensitive skin from chafing, irritation, and painful rashes, change your baby soon after wetting. Although a disposable diaper may seem dry, bacteria from the urine is still in contact with baby's skin. The less frequent diaper changing encouraged by disposable diaper use (upwards of five hours on average) has caused an increase in diaper rash. The plastic in disposable diapers also prevents baby's skin from breathing naturally. As the bacterial breakdown of urine occurs, it produces ammonia. In a cloth diaper with a nylon or wool cover, air is able to circulate and ammonia can escape. But a disposable diaper traps that ammonia against baby's skin, again causing diaper rash or even reddish urine burns.
Fact #6
Today's cotton diapers are easier to use than ever. Gone are the days of giant, one-ply diapers that require a degree in origami to fold down to size. Pre-folded cotton diapers are simple to use, require no rinsing or soaking and, by using Velcro-close diaper covers, you don't even need pins or rubber pants.
Fact #7
Last, but in no way least, using cotton diapers is less expensive than using disposables. And what could be more convenient? You never have to run to the store at the last minute because you've run out of diapers. You never have to carry that big box of disposable diapers home from the store. And you always have the peace of mind of knowing that you're doing the right thing for your baby and the earth that he or she will inherit.
The bottom line is that choosing cloth diapers doesn't have to be a daunting prospect-it's simple, it's convenient, it's inexpensive.
Keep your baby -- and our earth -- happy and healthy!
Link: http://www.betterwaydiaperservice.com/facts.htm