Why Cloth Diapers?
Have you ever considered what disposables are made of? How did they get to be so white? How do they manage to absorb so much?
Disposables are made mostly of soft, fluffy pulp, which is produced by chemically treating wood fibers. The pulp undergoes a whitening and softening process when it is exposed to chlorine-based bleaching agents, such as chlorine gas and chlorine dioxide.
These papermaking methods produce a multitude of toxic chemical by-products, which are released into the environment during manufacturing. During the manufacturing process, substances called organ chlorides are produced.
These are dangerous unwanted by-products. They are found in large quantities in wastewater released into the environment, and they remain in minute quantities in the paper fluff itself.
One of the most well known organ chlorides is the dioxin group. Dioxin has been called the most toxic substance ever produced and has been associated with birth defects, miscarriage, cancer and genetic damage. No one knows exactly how much exposure to dioxin is required for disease to develop. It is toxic in very small amounts.
Another chemical that simply should not be in a baby’s diaper is called sodium polyacrylate. This substance is found in the fluff layer of the disposable and turns your baby’s urine into gel. Sodium polyacrylate can absorb 100 times its weight in liquid. It makes for an absorbent diaper, but has been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome in tampon use. In the past, use of this chemical has been associated with severe diaper rash and bleeding perennial and scrotal tissue, because it pulls fluid so strongly that it excoriates human tissue. No neutral long-term study of any kind has been done to assess the affect over time, of contact of this substance with vulnerable genital tissue.
In contrast, a few dozen-cloth diapers – when compared to 5,000 disposables during one child’s diapering years – represent a safe and responsible alternative to your child’s health.
