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The Great Diaper Debate

In all actuality, it appears that the verdict is still out concerning whether or not cloth diapers or disposable diapers are better for the environment and your little one. The decision that you make to use disposable or cloth diapers depends on your personal preference, your lifestyle, and the concern you have for the environment. In making a decision, one thing that you must remember is that the choice that is right for you and your little one may be a slightly different from the decision that is right for your best friend and her baby. Overall, the on-going debate on diapers can be divided up into dour different categories: health issues, environmental concerns, convenience and cost.

 Health Issues 

One of the primary health concerns present when diapering your baby is the ability to keep them dry. When your little one has a wet bum, it could lead to diaper rash, which can be very painful, irritating and often it can be difficult to get rid of. Generally, disposables keep your baby drier for a lot longer because they whisk the wetness away from your baby’s skin. Whereas, the use of cloth diapers means very frequent changes, which can be a little disruptive, especially at night. Even though it may appear that disposables come out on top in this particular category, there are some studies that have shown that disposable diapers can cause irritation with their fragrances and dyes. If you are going to be using disposables, you should try to find the ones that are chlorine free and fragrance free. You should also remember, that there’s really not any good reason that diapers have to be stark white. 

Environmental Concerns 

Around nineteen sixty one, disposable diapers came onto the market, and today they account for eighty percent of the diapers that are used within North America. On the average, a baby is going to use a grand total of five thousand diapers from the time the baby is born until about the baby has reached thirty months of age. In the United States alone, according to information that has been released by the Environmental Protection Agency, this accounts for well over sixteen billion diapers or two point seven million tons of solid waste that is going directly into the landfills each year. In landfills, disposables are the third most common item, following food containers and paper products, and each single diaper takes five hundred years to completely break down. 

Convenience 

Without one single doubt, disposable diapers are absolutely the most convenient way of diapering your infant. During the time that you are out and about on the town, the last thing that you want to have to worry about is changing a diaper and then taking it home with you so that it can be cleaned. 

Cost 

Even though, cloth diaper proponents will argue that they are a lot cheaper than disposables, the final numbers really don’t add up. It has been estimated that parents will spend roughly fifty dollars each month on disposable diapers. Whereas, a cloth diapering service is also going to run around fifty dollars each month or forty dollar each month if you plan to clean your own and that doesn’t even take into consideration how much your time is worth. However, in the end, the cost shouldn’t be labeled as a real factor in the decision that you make to either use disposable or cloth diapers.