The Diaper Drama - Scene 2  ::  Dryness and Rashes

The Online Drama of Disposable versus Cloth Diapers (Nappies)

By: Heather L. Sanders

Okay, so the economic aspect was appealing, but what of the argument for DRYNESS and DIAPER RASH!  My archaic thoughts on cloth diapering involved wet laps (MINE for instance), stinky plastic pants, and baby rash.  Whereas, with disposables, the manufacturers promote Super-Absorption properties, water proof outer liners to protect mother's lap/hip, whatever . . .  and even have 'rash-free' varieties with Aloe!  WHAT A SELECTION!

In my mind I could almost justify the expenditure if I felt it would keep my baby drier and rash free.  At the time though, disposables WERE NOT doing the trick and my daughter had an ongoing diaper rash (despite switching brands and types of disposable diapers).  As far as the rashes are concerned, I found clarity in some answers in several articles - one of which was an article entitled, "Diapers, Disposable or Cotton?" at EcoBaby. 

"Widespread diaper rash is a fairly new phenomenon that surfaced along with disposable diapers.  Reasons for more rashes include allergies to chemicals, lack of air, higher temperatures because plastic retains body heat, and babies are probably changed less often because they feel dry when wet."

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54% of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes.  THAT IS MORE THAN HALF!  Of those 16% were severe rashes.  Cathy Allison, in her article, "Disposable Diapers: Potential Health Hazards?," cited a study done by Procter & Gamble (manufacturers of Pampers® and Luvs®) that, rather humorously - I think, concluded that the incidence of diaper rash INCREASES from 7.1% to 61% with increased use of THEIR diapers!  Bet Procter & Gamble wishes it never prompted that study, eh?  Mark Fearer in "Diaper Debate - Not Over Yet," stated that "Several independent medical studies document an astounding increase [in diaper rash]: from 7% in 1955 to 78% in 1991.  Critics of disposables say this parallels the increase in usage for disposables." 

The Super-Absorbent qualities of disposable diapers offer a sort of Catch 22.  Yes, it wicks away moisture from your baby's skin, but they also do two other things:

• Facilitates less diaper changing from parents - which leads to rashes because of babies' exposure to the super-absorbent chemicals (more on this later), bacterial growth, and the ammonia from accumulated urine in the diaper.
• 'Pulls' natural moisture (not just urine) from the baby's skin - this too will encourage irritation.

Since prolonged exposure to a hot, dirty diaper is one of the most common causes of diaper rash, I came to the conclusion that super-absorbent diapers ARE NOT necessarily important!  Think about it . . . your child is in a disposable, you stick your finger  in there (come on, admit it . . . we ALL do this) to discover how wet it is.  In spite of the fact that it is bulging, we say, "Oh, its dry.," and we leave it on another hour.  Don't lie to yourself about this - we're all adults here.

Even infertility rates in males may be linked to disposable diapers.  So, they are dry, but are they 'cool.'  It is thought that disposables may heat-up a boys testicles to the point that it stops them from developing normally.  "Diapers lined with plastic raise the temperature of the scrotum far above body temperature and can lead to a total breakdown of normal cooling mechanisms, according to the study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood (6)." 

So, WHO CARES if it is super-absorbent?!  Why pay for super-absorbency?  You SHOULD NOT NEED SUPER-ABSORBENT DIAPERS, but instead, recognize that your child needs to be kept in CLEAN diapers!  This not only keeps them DRY, but also RASH FREE.  If you wet your pants, would you sit in them or change them?  Why should we treat our children less than we would treat ourselves?  Can we 'justify it away' because diapers are not the same as underwear?  Why not?  Any woman that has worn a disposable maxi pad for any amount of time has a small taste of what it would feel like to wear a diaper.  Again, 'things that make you go hmmmmmmm.' The Golden Rule could most definitely apply here.

The cloth diapers (nappies) of today, I found, are incredible - plush, absorbent without chemicals, and varied.  Even the simple pull-on covers have gravitated away from plastic toward nylon (breathable, but leak-free) to allow heat to escape, the baby's skin to 'breathe,' but momma's lap to stay dry and longer durability.  The options are endless - more even than the disposable market offers.

Go To Next Scene of 'The Diaper Drama'

Introduction to 'The Diaper Drama'
Scene 1: Costs
Scene 3: Health Issues
Scene 4: Environment

 
Content Copyright © Heather L Sanders.
May not be reprinted without permission.