Choosing the best diaper for your baby:
Diaper-changing is probably one of the most dreaded parts of parenthood. It a messy business but as the cliché goes, someone’s got to do it. However, in as much as poo and pee may be disgusting, the most important issue is still your baby’s comfort. Your baby will wear diapers 24 hours a day, seven days a week so you know you better get the right kind.
So far, the debate has always been between disposable diapers versus cloth diapers. But before you pick a side, here are the tings you need to think about.
Diaper Rash. As mentioned, babies will have to stay in the diaper all day and all night. This means that the baby’s bottom will be exposed to a lot of moisture and possibly even feces. The moisture combined with chemical and enzyme action can harm the skin. In addition, microbes may reproduce in the diaper area. All these conditions may lead to the development of the diaper rash.In this condition, the skin of the baby becomes chaffed and inflamed due to the bacterial infection as well as the effect of the diaper’s material. So, before you choose a diaper, think about whether this type of diaper can absorb and hold moisture better as well as prevent feces and urine from mixing. Currently, disposable diapers seem to have the benefit of the technology that helps manage the moisture issue. Some diapers even have the means of telling the parents that the diaper has reached its maximum liquid capacity. However, with frequent changing, cloth diapers may also be just as hygienic.
Another argument against disposable diapers is that the baby’s skin may be irritated by the bleach used to whiten the material and by the sodium polyacrylate composition of the diaper’s absorbent gel layer. Here are some more things to consider:
Convenience: In today’s busy lifestyle, parents don’t always have the time to wash, dry, and fold cloth diapers. Remember, a newborn infant may need as much as 12 diaper changes in a day. That’s a lot of diapers to wash. However, if the parents are financially capable, they can employ laundry services that will wash the diapers for them. As for disposable diapers, many busy parents prefer them since they can go from the baby’s butt and straight to the trash bin. No washing and drying involved. For families who love to travel, disposable diapers are certainly more ideal.
Cost: Cloth diapers are more cost-effective. Once you buy them, with proper maintenance, they can be durable enough to last until your next baby is born. The cost may be in the actual maintenance – the detergents, fabric conditioners and other laundry materials. On the other hand, cloth diapers may run your wallet anywhere from $50 to $80 each month. If you’re willing to take the extra effort to wash cloth diapers, they will certainly save you some money.
Environmental Impact: In the United States alone, used diapers amount to over 2.7 million tons of waste that will be dumped in landfills. For many parents, being environmentally conscious is a great factor when it comes to diaper issue. They want their kids to have a safe, healthy environment when they grow up. And if this is the case, using cloth diapers will definitely reduce the waste that will go into dump sites.
So, before you make a decision, think about how that diaper will impact your child’s health, your convenience and even the condition of the world we live in.
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