Pampers "Cruisers" and "Swaddlers".... really?
Above are "Before" and "2 weeks later" shots of one of our kids who had horrendous diaper rash, he was 4.5 months old when his mom made the switch to cloth dipes from Innovative Diaper Service. We're happy to report, this little guy is now rash free!
There are two completely different kinds of diapers in the world.
One is a simple, three-panel rectangle of five to seven plies of soft and natural cotton.
The other is a tremendously complex combination of heavily treated paper pulp, polyethylene (and other plastics), glues, dyes, synthetic perfumes, and -- above all -- a super absorbent chemical, sodium polyacrylate, that absorbs urine and holds it in a "gel" next to a baby's skin.
We at innovative diaper service think that if you see things from your baby's standpoint, and apply the same standards of comfort and health that you would for your own body, cotton is the obvious choice. But since some of the propaganda for disposables has focused on making cotton diapering appear to be a grossly inconvenient and messy practice suited to the turn of the last century rather than this one, you understandably may want to know what's really involved in cotton diapering care.
Your child will spend the first 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years of his or her life in diapers, and since a baby's skin is very delicate and highly absorbent it is extremely important to consider the diaper options carefully. The chemicals used in disposable diapers such as absorbency materials, bleaches, perfumes and dyes can cause health problems such as allergic reactions (diaper rash) but have also been linked to problems such as asthma, weakened immune systems and impaired hormonal systems. Sodium Polyacrylate, TBT (Tribulytin) and Dioxin are some of the most toxic chemicals found in disposables.
Some studies say that the sharp rise in male infertility over the past 25 years has been caused, in part, by the use of disposable diapers because a boy's testicles are held in temperatures that are high enough to stop them from developing normally.
Babies naturally have sensitive skin, some more than others. Often the chemicals, dyes, and perfumes in disposables irritate baby's bottom. As the use of disposable diapers became more widespread, so did diaper rash. In 1955, before disposable diapers, only about 7% of American babies suffered from diaper rash. By 1998, when 90% of the babies were wearing disposables, diaper rash occurrence had increased to 78%. Some of the reasons include allergies to chemicals, lack of air circulation, higher temperatures and the fact that babies are changed less often because disposables feel dry to the touch even when they have been well used. Also, even if a diaper keeps wetness away from a baby's skin, any bacteria present can still grow (faster, sometimes, because of the heat) causing problems.
It is estimated that it takes between 200-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose. Approximately 18 billion disposables are thrown away per year in the U.S. alone making them the third largest single consumer item in landfills representing 30% of non-biodegradable waste.
It is illegal in most states to dump human waste in landfills - a law that is not enforced when it comes to diapers. The waste could infest the water leaching out of the dump with bacteria and viruses (polio, hepatitis, dysentery) that are passed through the feces after a child has been vaccinated.
Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals and is particularly toxic to marine animals.
idiaper The green cloth diaper service for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
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