No matter which way you sniff them, dirty diapers stink. That's about the only consensus among parents in the disposable diaper versus cloth diaper debate. Even medical professionals disagree over whether plastic or cloth is best, but they do agree you need to make your decision before the baby arrives and stock up. The average newborn dirties his diaper 70 times in just the first week of life, according to The Nemours Foundation KidsHealth website.
Cost
Cloth diapers cost more upfront, but save in the long-run. Factoring in the cost of electricity, water and detergent, the average family can save $1,400 per year, per baby with cloth diapers, according to research by "The Sacramento Bee." Some parents fashion cloth diapers out of nothing but an old T-shirt, and safety pins, while others select brand-name, all-in-one cloth diapers that grow with the child.
In 2009, ConsumerSearch found that the best-rated cloth diaper may cost $18, but the diaper will fit your baby from 8 lbs. to 35 lbs. thanks to adjustable Velcro fasteners, and it comes with a one-year warranty. For $18, you can get a 26-pack of the best-rated disposable diapers from the same retailer, according to ConsumerSearch.
Time
Your neighborhood supermarket, drug store or discount store likely fills the good part of an aisle with disposable diapers. The convenience of buying and changing disposable diapers helped influence 95 percent of parents to choose them in the 1990s, according to ABC News.
Discount chains carry the supplies for basic, birdseye cloth diapers, while online retailers corner the market on everything from the plain, pre-folded diapers to designer fitted ones with fashionable covers. Cloth diapers also take time to wash and dry, and some childcare providers will only change disposable diapers.
Environmental Concerns
Both disposable and cloth diapers pose environmental concerns. Disposable diapers rot in landfills for years. In 1998 alone, dirty diapers filled up 3.4 tons of waste in U.S. landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
You can reuse cloth diapers for baby after baby, and eventually turn them into cleaning rags. But washing cloth diapers uses water and electricity resources. Diaper services wash more diapers at once while using far less water than the traditional household, but delivery services add to the number of vehicles on the road.
Health Concerns
Your baby may develop diaper rash from an uncomfortable diaper or a wet diaper that irritates the skin. According to The Mayo Clinic, there's "no compelling evidence" that one kind of diaper better prevents diaper rash. Disposable diapers are better at keeping your baby dry because they are more absorbent. Conversely, your child may cry out quicker to be changed with a cloth diaper to avoid diaper rash.
Disposable diapers may irritate your baby's eyes, nose and throat, or cause breathing problems, a 1999 Anderson Laboratories study found. Disposable diapers may also raise a boy's scrotal temperature, which can lead to fertility issues later in life, according to a 2000 German study cited by ABC News.
ToiletTraining
Cloth diapers work better for toilet training, according to some toilet training authorities including online expert Narmin Parpia. Because your child feels the wetness sooner, he may learn to toilet train earlier, Parpia says.
On the other hand, disposable training pants offer a number of training techniques for your child, including diapers that get cool when wet and diapers with prints of your child's favorite cartoon characters that disappear when the diaper becomes soiled.
References
- KidsHealth: Diapering Your Baby
- "The Sacramento Bee"; Book of Dreams: Changing to Cloth Diapers Means Big Savings; Debbie Arrington; Nov. 30, 2009
- ConsumerSearch: Diapers: Reviews
- ABC News: Technology: The Diaper Debate: Are Disposables as Green as Cloth; Amanda Onion; May 2005
- Mayo Clinic.com: Diaper Rash
