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Babies
in disposable diapers may experience more diaper rash; because the
diapers feel dry, parents tend to change them as infrequently as every
four to five hours. But though the outer layer may appear dry, bacteria
from the urine is still present in the baby's diaper, and still comes in
contact with the baby's skin. Furthermore, plastic does not
"breathe" to let out the ammonia formed in the bacterial
breakdown of urine, while a cotton diaper and nylon or wool wrap are
breathable, allowing air to circulate to the baby's skin, keeping it
healthy.
Of more serious concern are the toxic chemicals present in
disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to
cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases, is a
by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing
disposable diapers, and trace quantities may exist in the diapers
themselves.
Superabsorbent diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, which absorbs
up to 100 times its weight in water. Sodium polyacrylate is the same
substance that was removed from tampons in 1985 because of its link to
toxic shock syndrome. No
studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being
in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards
of two years.
Even home laundering diapers isn't necessarily as time-consuming
as you may think. Many moms feel that it takes less time to dump a load
of cloth diapers into the washing machine and transfer them to the dryer
than it does to shop for disposables, load them into the car, unload
them at home, and take out an extra garbage can once a week.
Another advantage to cloth diapers is that they usually lead to
earlier toilet training because the child actually knows when he or she
is wet. Now that many children go straight from disposable diapers to
disposable pull-ups, it's not uncommon to see four and five year olds
who still aren't completely potty-trained wearing pull-ups to school.
This has an obvious impact on the child's self-esteem, not to mention
the added impact on landfills.
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. And
it's the best choice you can make for the health of your baby, and of
the planet.
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