Disposable diapers can be dangerous to your infant and the environment.
Although they have become popular in recent decades for their ease and cleanliness, disposable diapers have recently been found to be doing more damage than originally thought. These dangers are to both the baby and the environment, many long-lasting.
Skin Irritation
One of the least worrisome dangers from using disposable diapers is the increase and persistence of diaper rash. Because the waterproof lining holds the moisture in so well, it makes the rashes worse.
Chemicals
This one is truly bothersome, as the chemicals in disposable diapers are not subject to government controls or testing and the full effect of these chemicals against a child's skin during the early formative years in not fully known at this point. Recent studies have found links to infertility and testicular cancer in males and increases in asthma and bronchial irritation.
Structure
Another recent study, performed by Lancet, a British medial journal, found that the tightness and way disposable diapers fit a child's body can lead to the displacement of hips and incorrect body growth. This study is controversial, but it's out there.
On the Environment
A big concern, and the more highly publicized one, is the effect of disposable diapers on the environment and in landfills. Not only has an actual rate of disintegration not been found (it is currently believed to take hundreds of years for each diaper to finally fall apart), but the resources to make a disposable diaper as opposed to a cloth one are exponential. Consider this impact when the average baby uses 6,000 before being potty-trained.
Tags: disposable diapers, been found
