Hygiene for Babies: Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapers have come a long way from rubber pants and diaper pins.  They come in many designs and forms.
 
Usual cloth diapers usually come pre folded or in a square and require pinning. More modern types are fitted like disposable diapers and come with Velcro closures or snaps. Other cloth-diapering accessories include absorbent liners (some can be flushed), diaper doublers for extra protection at night and diaper covers to help prevent leaks. There are many advantages of cloth diapering, as indicated below.

• Cost Savings:  Initially, cloth diapers can be more costly, but in the over a period of time cloth diaper users are often ahead of expenditures. If the newborn uses an average of 8-12 diapers a day and an older baby goes through 6-8 diapers a day, the total cost for disposable diapers will keep rising and hence cloth diapers may be more economical than disposable diapers. Cloth diapers are a number of times, instead of periodically having to be restored.  Further, they can be reused for later children or even for household rags once the diaper days are over.
• Better for Baby: Cloth diapers are not subject to many issues like diaper rash, irritated bottoms and other common complaints, that are inherent in disposable diapers. Lesser chemicals like Dioxin, Tributyl-tin (TBT), or polyacrylate touch the baby’s bottom and hence the less likely they are to be sensitive. For a sensitive baby with allergies and skin sensitive, diapers with very natural, even organic, materials are preferred since they may reduce discomfort. They are very much baby friendly and softer on baby’s skins.
• Environment/Eco friendly: Cloth diapers are better for the environment. According to the Real Diaper Association, most of the disposable diapers, along with their contents end up in landfills. It can take more than 100 years to   decay.  Cloth diapers will decompose in a shorter span of time.
• Less Time in Diapers: When cloth diapers are used, it involves only lesser time for potty training or educating the child about EC – elimination communication, as they are more sensitive when they are wet.
• Adorable: Cloth diapers are cute and available in natural fabrics, in fashionable colors and prints.

They claim very few natural resources to manufacture.

Diaper services pick up soiled diapers and return them cleaned and folded, a suitable preference for busy parents of multiple kids.

New products like wraps and liners make it easier than ever to diaper babies.

Both cloth diapers and disposable diapers have advantages and disadvantages. Even though most parents choose disposable diapers because of their convenience, some parents opt for cloth diapers, which can be more affordable if washed by themselves.  Some families practise  a via media approach, using cloth diapers for newborns and disposables for more active children or using cloth diapers when in home and disposables when they go out. Further, new products and production techniques have improved the selections for both cloth and disposable diapers.

There is another group of people strongly advocating against the use of diapers and they have introduced the baby training pants and baby underwear in print knit fabrics exclusively for Diaper Free Baby.  This is yet to receive good reception among the general mass and is in the initial stage only.