How safe are Babys diapers?
A new baby is born into the family bringing great joy to the parents, perhaps brothers and sisters and the grandparents from both sides. Of course, the parents want the best for their baby and it will need a lot of things to make the first years of your baby, good and healthy years.
Mother and baby image PublicDomainPictures
Diapers the old-fashioned way
Because of modern times, a lot of timesaving products have come on the market. One of them is disposable diapers. In old times mothers would stay at home and as part of their housework were expected to boil cotton diapers and when dry, use them again.
I was born in Australia in 1950 and my Mother told me while living on a farm that she would boil my diapers in a big pot hanging over the fire.
Nowadays, as mothers often have a job to manage besides their housework, disposable diapers were welcomed. Even if it is often noted on the package to clean the diaper before disposing of it, there hardly will be anybody who does that. They are thrown away dirty as they are.
Diapers image Mahesh Patel
How many diapers does a baby use?
A baby will dirty around 6 to 8 diapers a day, and that means up to 10.000 before your baby will be able to sit on a potty. All the diapers put a strain on our environment. It seems that diapers are the third largest consumer item in landfills.
Each baby contributes with some 2000 pounds of garbage. That is a colossal figure and requires some rethinking of what we are doing.
Then you must also consider that non-biodegradable diapers can prevent any organics from decomposing. This can also include dormant microbes and bacteria.
Landfill Pasi Maenpaa
We must also consider the role of oil in the diapers. Oil is the raw material for the polyethylene plastic, which is used for manufacturing diapers. It takes around 1625 quarts of oil to have your baby wear diapers for 30 months. That is more oil than you will probably need in your total life to keep your car lubricated.
I find this YouTube quite disturbing. As a parent, you want the best for your baby. That is why one has to be well informed and not blindly follow all these pretty advertisements.
Dangerous chemicals found in diapers
Besides this environmental problem, some more bad news has come my way. I really think it is very important you know about this as it poses a health risk to your baby.
I suppose you have heard about glyphosate in food, something which has to be avoided at all costs. We have now discovered that glyphosate and a bunch of other toxic chemicals are present in diapers. This is definitely terrible news as your baby will be exposed to this for some 30 months, the first months in its life.
.
.
Diapers Test
The French safety agent ANSES has conducted tests these last years and has come with disturbing facts. They identified 60 chemicals like glyphosate (that is the active ingredient in Roundup) that are present in diapers. Some others were lindane, quintozene, and hexachlorobenzene, all of which were banned in the European Union and have been banned for over 15 years.
Those nasty chemicals found in diesel engines and cigarette smoke are also in your baby’s diapers. Who would have thought that? They are PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) like dioxins and furans.
Most of these toxic chemicals are carcinogenic and also endocrine disruptors. The argument that diapers are on the outside does not hold as the skin is our biggest organ, so babies absorb these things over time. 30 Months to be in contact with these awful chemicals is far too long to discard it as a health risk.
Sleeping baby image Cheryl Holt
Now you may ask, what can one do? Only 5% of parents living in the Western world use cotton baby diapers. There are a lot of brands on the market that are eco-friendly have no nasty chemicals, etc. They will cost approx 0,50 each and you can throw them away. So, now it is up to you to decide what is best for your baby.
I would say baby’s safety is first on the list. So that will reduce your choice to environmental disposable diapers or go back to good old times and boil a pot with cotton diapers. I hope you will find the time to do that.
A helpful baby guide
This book is a clever guide with many useful tips. In the Eco-nomical Baby Guide, the authors prove that bringing up a baby can be easy on the pocketbook and the planet.
An Afterthought
As our planet is getting more and more soiled by waste, especially the plastic waste which is a hazard to marine life, fauna and flora, and even humans on a whole, it would be a good thing to rethink our actions even if it is on Baby Diapers.
I have made a special page for you. There you might find something of your interest. Please have a look at Recommendations.
Source: Dena Schmidt, staff writer for Natural Health 365 on February 18, 2019
Photo Source: Pixabay
Babies are tender creatures, and special care has to be taken so they can thrive. You might like to read the following post. Be informed.
Comments
Todd Matthews
It’s crazy to think that something as simple as diapers can be so harmful to the environment and one’s health. While I’ve researched the negative effects of plastics, chemical wastes, and even things like vehicle exhaust, I had yet to read anything on diapers, but throwing away six to eight a day equates to forty-two to fifty-six per week. Within one year, the math is astonishing, and this is just one item. Now throw in plastics and the amount is already close to staggering. Luckily, we’re now seeing some more eco-friendly alternatives enter the market.
Taetske
Good Morning Todd,
Thank you for your comment on my website. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
On both my websites I have a couple of posts on plastic. The more I investigate the more plastic I find, it is about everywhere in our modern life. One could actually call it the plastic invasion. We are suffocating the environment with all these plastic inventions. As cotton can also put a strain on the environment as it needs lots of water the best would be to use hemp. From building a house to making clothes, all can be made from hemp. We need a global brainwash, perhaps that would help.
Regards, Taetske
Louis
I believe the safety of our infant one’s should be the priority of parents when sourcing for diapers to purchase. It’s not advisable to keep using to toxin filled diapers for our babies.
This disposable diapers are also a strain on our already polluted environment. I wish everyone can start using more eco friendly diapers to help our children and the environment too.
Thanks for this write up, was really an eye opener.
Taetske
Good Morning Louis,
Nice to see you again. Thank you for your comment.
I could never imagine that diapers were harmful to babies and also the environment. All these modern inventions might look good at first glance but there you see it is no good what so ever. I hope people will change and buy eco-friendly diapers.
Regards, Taetske
Irin Khan
Hi,
After reading your article I come to learn about the harmful side of Baby Diapers. Which I did not know before. This is a great message to save our babies and the environment’s future. A baby diaper is an essential product to the parents in the modern age. Now I think, We have to innovate the echo friendly diaper system which is good for babies and the environment. The harmful ingredient which are used in a diaper should restrict.
Taetske
Good Morning Irin,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
I was really shocked when I found out about those chemicals in diapers. Just imagine what harm it does to babies. Then the environment also suffers from this invention. Humans invent crazy things.
Regards, Taetske
Eva Babika
Hello! This is just plain crazy! I had no idea that diapers are so hurtful to babies and the environment as well. This is a real eye-opener. I believe that if people knew how dangerous these diapers are, they wouldn’t be using them. Keep up good work and inform the public about dangers of these diapers!
Taetske
Good Morning Eva,
Thank you for your visit and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
This was my first post on diapers but recently I had to write again about diapers. The industry has invented Smart Diapers, you will not believe it. This will cause your baby to be radiated day and night. We live in a crazy world where our health has no value only money.
Regards, Taetske
Adyns68
It is true that diapers are time saving and easy to use. But, it is just as you have said, they are full of nasty chemical and not eco-friendly at all. I remember growing up, and babies use to be wraped in a towel like tissue and covered with a water proof material to avoid the pie to pass through. And they could changed 3 to 4 times per day. So,washing them was not easy but Mothers took time to do that. But with working mothers, it became easy and cheap to use diapers.
Now, because of the environment and the discovery of these nasty chemical I can see many mothers are getting back to the use of eco-friendly diapers and organise their time to clean those diapers for re-use. I think we all want the best for our children but as long as we do not know that something is harmful, there is no way to react. Now we know and we should manage our time to give the best to our children.
Thanks
Taetske
Good Morning Adyn,
Thank you for your visit and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
News like this is very important. There are already so many harmful things in our modern world we are not aware of. Now babies are being attacked not only by chemicals also by radiation, but the nasty list of things is also getting longer every day.
Only if we are well informed about what happens around us we have a chance of leading a healthy life.
Regards, Taetske
Kent
I had a shocking experience with baby diapers with my daughter, especially for the outrageous price they are sold in the country in Europe where we lived at that time. Understanding now that beside afflicting us a family we also contributed to ruin the planed makes me really sad. Planet pollution should be the main topic discussed in every school, while I still see it neglected. A few years back I heard about the re usable diapers and I found it such a straight common sense idea that I wondered how this didn’t even pop up in our minds during my daughter’s diapers years. On a green side I’d love to see also the big corporations hit financially by their intentional acts, such as market a product that they know to be harmful upfront (how can they not?) and also fined based on the quantity of pollution produced. I’m sure that’ll bring to a greener planet in much faster way.
Taetske
Good Morning Kent,
For our commodity and the need to save time, these big companies come up with those ideas. Be it fast food, 5G, and also quick to change baby diapers. All this results in damage to our health and the environment but let’s be truthful, in the end, it is our own fault.
We often do not want to know what effect our actions have and rather continue our easy lifestyle to then be presented with a hefty bill in the end. We really should take the trouble to be as well informed as possible and not be fooled by glossy advertisement.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Robert J Warneck
I have to say I’m flabbergasted and it really sickens me that these dangerous chemicals are found in babies diapers! The only problem I foresee is that environmental companies need to bring down the cost of their diapers. I understand our babies needs, safety and protection are priority, but the Bambo Nature environmental diapers for $90.15 for only 28 diapers! That is very pricey and no matter the good intentions we have for our babies, not everyone can afford that! I would recommend the cloth diapers (and make the time) If you have a relative caring for your baby while at work, than show them what they need to do to boil the cloth diapers and let them dry. It is a shame that environmentally safe products and healthy products have to have such heavy price tags. Do you have any suggestions on ones that are at a more reasonable cost? It is important that we keep our child and the environment safe.
Robert
Taetske
Good Morning Robert,
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Yes, I know that the price of the Bamboo diapers is way too high. I did look some more on Amazon and there are some cheaper, also eco-friendly, alternatives. The cheapest is the boiling and drying of cloth diapers, back to good old times where a lot of things were a lot more sensible.
Save time seems to be one of those very important things in modern life. The stress this causes running back and forth chasing money has done a nasty trick on our health. Often all these modern inventions said to save time come with some nasty side effects just as all the pills we seem to need.
Regards, Taetske
Stella
Saving our baby from toxic and carcinogenic chemical shouldn’t be the the hardest sacrifice to make. Am sure every mother is a caring ones, so while ensuring the good health of the baby through using of diapers that are degradable and toxin free, we are also contributing the good health of the environment. I do not know diaper is this dangerous. There should be a product that are not hazardous to the baby skin. There should be a good alternative. Any good alternative is not only helping our baby but also our environment.
Taetske
Good Morning Stella,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
The most important thing is to be informed about this. Then one can make a decision to or buy eco-friendly diapers which are expensive or go back to the system of boiling and drying cloth diapers. Do you have a choice, your health or your time which is more important? Personally, I think our health and that of our babies is the most important thing in the world. The environment which is our habitat should not be forgotten either.
Regards, Taetske
Katya
Oh my God, Glyphosate is a herbicide agriculture uses to spray everything. It’s carcinogenic and worker need to wear full hazmat suit with a respiratory mask! What is it doing in a baby diaper?!
Are baby diapers regulated by some institution or can they put in pretty much whatever?
The eco factor vibes with me as well and from wastefulness point of view cotton diapers are better than plastic no-nasties diapers, maybe even cotton cloths – I grew up in them and I’m doing pretty or.
Thank you for pointing diaper safety out to me, my friend’s having a baby soon and I’ll share your post with him.
Katya
Taetske
Good Morning Katya,
The strange and sad thing is so many harmful products are allowed on the market, so much for vigilant regulations. As we are responsible for our own health we should be well informed as we cannot rely on those big companies. They want to earn money first, our health comes last, that is a fact. Therefore when one finds out about dangerous products stop buying them and spread the word.
Let’s face it we are being brainwashed by those glossy advertisements and literally fall for them. This applies also to our food which is getting worse. I always say eat as close to nature as possible, your health will thank you.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Laureen
Hi Taetske! I am still expecting my first pregnancy. However I have learned so much about the chemicals used to produce sanitary products – bleached tampons and pads are very harmful therefore I have switched to cloth pads instead. My concern was the handling when it comes to diaper, it’d be much more hard work than cleaning sanitary pads, beside we’ll have even more tasks when the baby’s here. I’m glad I came across your page and found out about these products. Thanks so much for this and hope to learn more from your page about taking care of babies as well as the environment. Blessings
Taetske
Good Morning Laureen,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
After the post you just read, I wrote another one on Smart Diapers. It is crazy we want to radiate our babies. Be careful with baby monitors as these gadgets also emit radiation. My last post is on the health benefits of nuts when the mother is pregnant as it will improve babies brain development.
Not all modern inventions are beneficial as the main aim is to earn money, one should not forget that.
Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy, take care of yourself and your future child.
Regards, Taetske
Lily
What a wonderful article Taetske and I never knew that there could be awful chemicals in diapers that we use for our babies. Of course, it makes sense that these chemicals would leak through the baby’s skin, especially over so much time. It makes me wonder if the increase in childhood cancer can be linked to the change to plastic diapers. Unfortunately, I can’t imagine many women planning to boil nappies in their very busy lives these days, so I was glad to see that there are natural alternatives available, like bamboo nappies that break down in landfills.
Definitely, time to change to a better alternative for our children and the planet.
Taetske
Good afternoon Lily,
Thank you for your visit and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
I get really irritated when I find out about these things. We humans invent things, prepare a very luring advertisement and the new product is an enormous success. What we are not told is that it can harm us and fauna and flora. The moment a lot of money is at stake, the last bit of honesty flies out of the window.
In this case there are suitable alternatives on the market, so that is a good step forward.
Regards, Taetske