When disposable diapers revolutionized the baby-care industry a half-century ago, parents abandoned soggy cloth diapers, plastic pants and sharp pins to try a more modern approach to keeping infants dry and comfortable. Eighty percent of families choose disposable diapers, purchasing an estimated 18 billion diapers annually, the Sustainability Institute reports. Disposable diapers offer convenience and reliability, fitting the needs of busy, mobile parents and their active offspring.
Convenience
Disposable diapers stack well, fit easily in diaper bags or purses, and can be bought in bulk. When traveling with infants or toddlers, parents do not have to worry about bringing home soiled diapers to wash and reuse; they simply put the diaper in the nearest trash can. Readily available at local grocery and discount stores, disposables have become lighter and thinner over the years as materials have improved.
Effectiveness
Diaper manufacturers have designed disposables to comfortably fit babies' contours and absorb large amounts of liquid without leaking. Even when worn by active toddlers in motion, disposable diapers keep messes to a minimum and prevent stains on clothing. From a health perspective, porous fibers effectively draw liquid away from an infant's skin, resulting in fewer rashes from urine exposure. Cloth diapers are not as effective at keeping moisture away from a baby's skin, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Water and Energy
Unlike their cloth counterparts, disposable diapers are not washed in hot water and dried in a clothes dryer using electricity or gas. Because the diapers are not reused, families do not have to use harmful detergents that might be released into the water system or irritate their baby's skin. Although disposable diapers do contribute to landfills, a study by the Environmental Agency in London found disposables "have the same environmental impact as reusable diapers when the effect of laundering cloth diapers is taken into account," ABC News reports.
Ease of Use
Before disposable diapers, caregivers faced the daunting task of trying to pin a uniform-sized cloth diaper on a squirming baby, then covering the diaper with plastic pants. In contrast, disposables are quick and easy to use with Velcro tabs that can be adjusted several times or during a diaper check. Disposables come in a variety of sizes based on a child's weight and build, giving parents an easy way to purchase a well-fitting diaper.
