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Which is Best?
The debate between which type of diaper is best is not an easy question to
answer. The reusable cloth diaper
isn’t what it used to be. Some
cloth diapers now have double or triple layers and a multiply, fiber-filled
strip, making them more absorbent than older styles. Some styles of cloth
diapers now come with Velcro strips, eliminating the need for those large safety
pins. You can launder them at home
or turn the job over to a
diaper service.
There are also various types and styles of disposable diapers, ranging from
simple plastic covered paper diapers to the newest high-tech, cartoon covered,
absorbent gel material filled, elastic legged disposables.
With so many different choices, here are some things to take into
consideration.
Skin Care & Health concerns:
The greatest concern for parents is to keep their baby’s skin dry, healthy
and free from diaper rash. Many
things can cause diaper rash. Prolonged
wetness, lack of air circulation, soap, chemical and dye allergies, ammonia
formed by bacteria that interacts with urine left sitting against the skin and
the growth of microbes in the diaper area can all be irritating and cause
rashes.
Some concerns
about disposable diapers have been about dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent
gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper.
Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome,
allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and
dioxin according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is known to cause damage
to the
central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The (FDA) Food & Drug Administration has received reports that
fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems
reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include,
chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, 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 if the diaper is not properly put on the baby.
According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54 % of one-month old babies using
disposable diapers had rashes, 16 % having severe rashes.
A study done by a disposable diapers manufacturing company (we won’t
name the company, but it's one of the largest manufacturers) shows that the
incidence of diaper rash increased from 7.1% to 61% with the increased use of
throwaway disposable diapers.
Keep in mind
that each baby is different; some parents will find their baby does perfectly
fine with disposables while other parents may find their baby has some type of
reaction to disposables.
On the other hand cloth diapers can cause rashes by not being changed enough
or properly cleaned and sanitized after becoming soiled.
It is
all a matter of personal preference, how your baby is reacting to a particular
diaper and how you feel about other factors that come into play when deciding
between cloth and disposables.
The best way to prevent diaper rash is to change diapers, cloth or
disposable, frequently. While
disposable diapers can hold large quantities of urine, this slight wetness is
still against your baby’s skin, which can lead to rashes.
Cloth diapers should be changed every time your baby wets and then the
diaper should be properly cleaned so all bacteria that may be in the cloth is
killed.
Cost:
The cost
of diapers is usually a great concern for most parents. Cost estimates* show that
disposable diapers will run approximately $50 to $80 per month, using a
diaper
service will cost approximately $50 to $80 per month and laundering your own
cloth diapers will cost slightly less at approximately $25 to $60 per month.
The cost
of disposable diapers varies due to the wide range of disposables on the market.
Some name brands are very expensive, while some store branded disposables can be
half the price of name brands. The cost of a
diaper service mainly varies
because of two factors. One factor being the amount of competition in your area
(number of
diaper service companies) and the second being the quality of diapers
that you choose to use. The cost of laundering your own cloth diapers also
varies because of many factors. One factor is the quality of the cloth diaper.
Some parents will initially purchase very high quality cloth diapers which will
last several years, while other parents might buy low quality diapers which only
last for a short time. Another factor is the amount of laundering that is done
for each load of dirty diapers. Some parents will only do a minimal amount of
cleaning and sanitizing, while other parents will go through many steps to clean
a load of dirty diapers. The more cleaning and sanitizing that is performed for
each load of diapers the higher the cost. Other factors are your time to launder
the diapers, cost of electricity, soap, water, and wear on your washing machine
and dryer.
In
general, if you compare the cost of the fancier high tech disposable diapers to
the cost of laundering your own cloth diapers, you will save money by using
cloth diapers and laundering them yourself. If you decide to go with disposable
diapers,
here
are a few tips on how to save money on
disposable diapers.
Environment:
There has been much debate over the impact of disposable diapers and cloth
diapers on the environment. The
pro-disposable diaper advocates say that the extra water used to wash cloth
diapers is just as much of an abuse to the environment as the production and
disposal of disposable diapers. But
taking into consideration the following estimates you will probably agree that
disposable diapers are much more harmful to the environment than cloth diapers.
It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of
2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills
annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year
to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.
Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for
these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun.
Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the
decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material
never decomposing.
The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a
possible danger to contaminating ground water.
Pro-disposable advocates say that cleaning cloth diapers uses more
energy and contributes to the load on sanitary sewer systems and potential
water pollution. This view really
makes no sense if you think about it. The
amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is about the
same amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily
for a week. Also, the greater
amount of water and energy being used by diaper service companies to wash large
amounts of cloth diapers multiple times; the per diaper impact on energy and
water supplies is actually less than home washing.
Finally, when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing
the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet
and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at
wastewater plants. This treated
wastewater is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled
disposable diapers into a landfill.
Convenience:
With the newer style of cloth diapers that are on the market, disposable
diapers are not much more convenient that cloth diapers.
The new multiple layer, Velcro fastening cloth diapers are just as easy
to put on and take off as disposables. Cloth
diapers do not really need to be presoaked, or even rinsed out. Flushable liners can be used with cloth diapers that let you
lift the soiled liner off the cloth and flush the liner and the poop down the
toilet. If you don’t use liners,
you can just dump the older baby’s solids down the toilet.
Cloth diapers usually only add about 2 extra loads of laundry a week to
your schedule.
Disposable diapers are more convenient when traveling because you can just
throw the dirty diapers away without carrying them around for washing.
Disposables also require fewer changes because of the super absorbent
materials; but taking into consideration the increased risks of rash and the
extra impact on the environment, your decision should be made with much thought.
Summary:
The choice between the different types of diapers available is a matter of
personal preference while taking into consideration all of the topics discussed
above. There really is no one best type of diaper that is good for every
baby. Deciding to use cloth or disposable diapers depends on your
lifestyle, personal preference, finances and your concern for the environment.
Some parents combine the two, using cloth at home and disposable when they are
going to be out all day. The choice that is right for you and your baby
may be different from the one that's right for your friend and her baby.
The best thing to do is know the advantages and disadvantages between cloth and
disposable diapers, talk with your doctor, discuss it with your wife or husband
and make a decision on what you think is best for your baby. Whichever diaper you decide on now, you may find that your baby develops diaper
rash more frequently later or has some type of allergic reaction. This could be sensitivity to your choice.
If this occurs, don't fight it, just switch. Try a different type of
diaper, a different brand or go from cloth to paper or vice versa. If your
baby ever shows signs of having a reaction to a diaper you should always notify
your doctor. The reaction you might be seeing could just be a small rash,
but it could be a more severe allergic reaction. Your doctor can tell you
exactly what it is and what you should do.
*estimates based on random sampling between
1999 and 2001
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