This is an exert:
Why are cloth diapers healthier for my baby?Disposable
diapers contain a super absorbant chemical inside their plastic casing called
sodium polyacrylate, which pulls fluid away from the baby's skin and holds it
inside the diaper. This chemical causes allergic reactions, was removed from
tampons after being linked to toxic shock syndrome, is lethal to to some animals
on inhalation, and lab testing [when injected] has shown it to cause
haemorrhage, cardiovascular failure and death.Dioxin, a byproduct of the
bleaching process, is the most toxic of cancer-linked chemicals according to the
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Even in barely detectable amounts it has
been known to cause liver disease, immune system supression and genetic damage
in lab animals. It can also cause birth defects. No level of dioxin has been
established as safe for human exposure. Every American has a measurable amount
in their body, and its half-life is seven years. Over thirty pounds of it are
released every year.
The FDA regularly receives complaints from illness or injury associated
with the usage of disposable diapers, this includes babies pulling the diapers
apart and ingesting pieces, skin being torn from the tabs, plastic melting into
the skin, dizziness, rashes, headaches and many other problems."In 1987, the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle published news aboutThis chemical remains in the diapers today.
the new Pampers Ultra. The new gel they used caused severe skin irritations, oozing blood from perineum and scrotal tissues, fever, vomiting, and staph infections in babies. Employees in Pampers factories suffered from tiredness, female organ problems, slow-healing wounds and weight loss. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54% of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, 16% had severe rashes. A survey of Procter & Gamble’s own studies show that the incidence of diaper rash increases from 7.1 percent to 61 percent with the increased use of throwaway diapers, great for manufacturers of diaper rash medicines. Widespread diaper rash is a fairly new phenomenon that surfaced along with disposable diapers. Reasons for more rashes include allergies to chemicals, lack of air, higher temperatures because plastic retains body heat, and babies are probably changed less often because they feel dry when wet."
In 2000 a German study linked male infertility to the use of disposable
diapers. The scrotum hangs away from the body to keep it cool - high
temperatures reduce sperm count and motility. This study found that during
diapering years the scrotal temperature was significantly higher, and in some
the natural cooling system was completely abolished.
Even the dyes in disposable diapers have been linked to health problems
similar and just as serious as the ones mentioned above.
As far as the sanitation issue, studies have shown that disposable and
cloth diapers are equally sanitary. As far as spreading germs what matters is
not what the diaper is made of but how it and the baby are handled. Hand-washing
being the most influencial factor.
