Dangers of Disposable Diapers
As
a mother, you
will naturally want to give your
infant the best and tender loving care you can give. That is why when
it comes
to choosing the diapers to use, it is best to be informed of the
inherent
dangers of disposable diapers that many parents do not know.
Here
are some of
the more important news of
disposable diapers that you should be aware of:
1. Toxic Chemicals
There
are actually
toxic chemicals that can be found
in disposable diapers that are not labeled as
“unbleached”
or “bleached with
peroxide”. The toxic chemicals may harm infants. The emission
of volatile
organic compounds or VOC, particularly toluene, ethyl benzene,
xylene and
dipentene, may expose the babies to serious threats of cancer or even a
case of
brain damage in severe cases.
Other
toxic
chemicals in disposable diapers include
dioxin, an extremely carcinogenic (cancer causing) byproduct of
chlorine
bleaching. The Archives of Disease in Childhood reports that trace
amounts of
dioxin are present on disposables. According to the EPA, dioxin is
known to
cause damage to the:
•
central nervous system
•
kidneys
•
liver
When
released into the environment, dioxin can accumulate in humans and
animals.
Another
potential
chemical danger is sodium
polyacrylate, the super absorbent gel that allows your baby to go 5 to
7 hours
in a diaper. The gel can hold up to 100-300 times its weight in water.
Some
experts have pointed out this substance in tampons as the possible
cause of
toxic shock syndrome, and others claim this toxin is very harmful and
potentially lethal to pets, and causes severe skin irritations, oozing
blood
from perineum and scrotal tissues, fever, vomiting and staph infections
in
babies. Sodium polyacrylate can also result in symptoms such
as:
•
coughing and shortness of breath if inhaled
•
nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea if ingested
•
redness and
pain in the eyes
•
redness,
itching and pain on the skin.
All
above-mentioned chemicals are
not present in cloth
diapers.
2.
Non-Biodegradable
In
case you do not know it, disposable
diapers are non-biodegradable and therefore do not decompose naturally.
For
this reason, the landfills become so easily filled up and therefore,
thousands
and thousands of soiled diapers get piled up in the garbage
dumpsites.
As a result, the air becomes polluted with the different VOCs or chemicals that may be released by such diapers. As diapers decompose, they release methane into the air. High concentrations of methane can be explosive and flammable. Methane is also dangerous to breathe in because it replaces oxygen. In the end it is still the babies that will suffer because they are the ones who are still primarily susceptible to the toxicity in the atmosphere.
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