Disposables and Your Baby

Disposable diapers seem pretty harmless, don't they? Actually, disposable diapers contain many harmful ingredients, including:

• 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.
• Tributyl-tin, a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.
• Sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer, which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.
• Dyes found in some disposables that are known to damage the central nervous system, kidneys and liver.
• Fragrances in some disposables that cause headaches, dizziness, and rashes, according to reports received by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

The design of disposable diapers may also pose risks to babies’ health. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency include babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin, and disposables may contain wood splinters.

Additionally, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research in May 2000 showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.

By using cloth diapers, you are protecting your child from the health risks associated with disposables.

Ready to get started? Contact Happy Nappy today!

Source: Real Diaper Association