Diapers Q&A - Disposable diapers.... ???

Disposable diapers.... ???

When using those disposable diapers... what makes them so absorbant? Is it harmfull???? Just wondering... I cloth diaper and my husband decided to use disposable diapers when I was in the hospital recently and our baby got a rash.. his rash is gone now that I have switched back to cloth. Just curious. Thanks! Doubt Changing was the problem... because my mother, sister in law, mother in law were also in on watching my son. I also tried dispossables on my older son when he was a baby and the same happened to him. Just curious as to why.

Public Comments

Another possiblility could be that your husband didn't change the baby often enough... or it could have just been that particular diaper brand...
I think that most of what is in the diapers is cotton. The outside is not, but the outside is what allow the diaper to protect from leakage. My daughter is very sensitive. If changed regularly, we never had a problem with Swaddlers when she was a baby and Huggies until she was a toddler. We started having a problem when we started using some Pull-Ups which have a substance (they called it cool touch) in them that lets the child know that they are wet. We can't use these because they caused my daughter to develop a rash- we found another type of Pull-up that doesn't contain this material that does not cause a rash. FYI- you cannot obtain an MSDS from diaper manufacturers about exactly what is in diapers- it appears that they are exempt from having to tell you this.
It is possible that you children have an allergic reaction, I can tell you that I used disposible with my daughter, and my sister used them with her girls and they were just fine. It is truely a preference choice. But if they are getting rashes I would say go to your pediatrician and see if they think it could be an allergic reaction. You want to find out if they are allergic to something because it could make a world of difference if other things contain the same materials.
It is generally a silica based crystal that absorbs wetness then turns into a gel-like substance that makes paper diapers "super absorbant." You babe may also be allergic to the perfumes in the diapers, or the chemicals used to bleach and process the paper etc... i know you had no choice, what with being in the hospital:-) But, might I suggest having some cloth all-in-ones on hand for when people used to paper diapers have to diaper the baby?
Some diapers use the silica crystals, some use just plain cotton but a lot of the name brand fancy diapers have perfumes in them to try and keep the diaper from smelling when you change them. That's what most babies are allergic to and causes the rash. Also they don't breathe as well as clothe diapers so the lack of air may have been the culprit. I try to let my guy air out for 10 minutes or so each diaper change or an hour outside on an old blanket also does wonders. The reason you can't get an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on diapers is because there are NO toxic elements to them. MSDS only exist for products that contain some sort of toxin or something that could pose a threat to a persons health. If you run into the need to use disposables again, get the cheaper no name or store brand diapers, they are generally made by the same manufacturer as the big names only they don't have the fancy outer coverings or perfumes. Believe me they are great for when you need to go out all day and don't want to have a bag full of wet cloth diapers sitting in a hot car or the baby bag all day!
It's amazing to me the ignorance of disposable users. They use these diapers against their babies most precious parts and don't even know what's in them or the harm they can do?! There is only one disposable diaper on the market that doesn't contain any harmful gels or chemicals (http://www.tushies.com/Tushies_Diapers.html). So those people who think that there is just cotton in their babies disposable diapers- you couldn't be more wrong. And I don't think it's necessary to go to your pediatrician, as it's unlikey that your son will have sodium polyacrylate, tributylin and dioxin against his skin again unless of course he wears another disposable diaper. In the 1950’s before plastic disposables arrived, 5% of babies had diaper rash. Now, 95% of American babies are in plastic disposables and 70% of babies have diaper rash. Moisture and heat cause diaper rash. As plastic doesn't breath, it traps moisture and generates a lot of heat. I feel sorry for the people who don't have any warning signs like diaper rash or the ones who ignore them. Even if you can not see the negative affects of disposable diapers in babies, they are still there. Though it could take years to see the effects. Dioxin is a chemical found in many paper products and is an unwanted side effect of the bleaching process. Dioxin is considered the most toxic substance ever produced. Even in minute quantities, it has been shown to cause cancer, liver disease, miscarriage, immune system depression, birth defects, and genetic damage in a variety of laboratory animals. Its exact effects on humans are not known. Industry officials acknowledge that some disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin. Based on the animal tests, the federal environmental agency classifies Dioxin as a “probable human carcinogen.” Disposable Diapers have been linked to asthma. A study published in the September/October issue of the journal Archives of Environmental Health indicates that the emissions given off by some disposable diapers cause "asthma-like conditions" in mice. According to the study, "the results demonstrate that some type of disposable diapers emit mixtures of chemicals that are toxic to the respiratory tract." Also the absorbent gel in disposables is sodium polyacrylate, a chemical that has been linked to toxic shock syndrome and can cause allergic reactions. It is also lethal to cats if inhaled. Pediatric journals have reported that this chemical can stick to babies' genitals and pull fluids from their skin. Disposables also contain dyes and fragrances that can cause adverse reactions in some people. Tributylin has been found in disposable diapers. TBT is ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the most toxic substances in use in consumer products in the world today. It is a biocide and is used in killing or preventing the growth of bacteria. A German study in 2000 found that disposable diapers raised the scrotal temperature of little boys by one degree. For boys, whose testicals are still developing, this may be a very serious concern. Increased scrotal temperature – even by one degree - is associated with infertility in men. Feel free to do your own research, I included links below.