- Less Diaper Rash
- No Harsh Chemicals
- Lower Scrotal Temperatures
- Faster Potty Training
Less Diaper Rash:
Cotton is soft on baby’s sensitive skin, and is breathable. This ventilation helps evaporate the potentially irritating ammonia that starts to form as soon as a baby wets and the result is far fewer cases of diaper rash for cotton-diapered babies.
Harsh Chemicals in Disposables:
It is important to note that most disposable diapers contain toxic chemicals such as sodium polyacrylate and dioxin. Sodium polyacrylate, used to create maximum absorbency, is the same substance that was withdrawn from tampons many years ago because of an association with Toxic Shock Syndrome2 . Dioxin has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases3 . In a typical disposable diaper these chemicals are kept away from baby’s skin, but the fact remains that they are harmful chemicals.
Higher Scrotal Temperatures With Disposables:
Furthermore, studies have shown that scrotal temperature, which closely reflects testicular temperature, is increased in boys wearing single-use plastic-lined diapers; increased scrotal temperature may lead to male infertility4,5.
Faster Potty Training With Cotton:
Another benefit to cloth diapers is that it has been shown that babies diapered with cloth generally toilet train a year earlier than babies diapered with single-use diapers6 ,7.
2. Judy Braiman-Lipson, Empire State Consumer Association, Rochester, NY
3. EPA, “Integrated Risk Assessment for Dioxins and Furans from Chlorine Bleaching in Pulp and Paper Mills
4. Partsch, Aukamp, and Sippell. “Scrotal temperature is increased in disposable plastic lined nappies.” Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel. May 2000.
5. “Scrotal Temperature is Increased in Disposable Plastic Lined Nappies,” Archives of Disease in Childhood 83, October 2000
