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| |    Disposable Diapers by Susan E. Davis reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. No one is neutral about disposable diapers. They're either reviled as Mother Earth's worst enemy or hailed as a parent's best friend. Make that many parents' best friend. Consumer Reports estimates that 95 percent of American moms and dads elect to use them on their babies. Absorbing issues Disposable diapers are generally made of some combination of paper pulp, plastic, and superabsorbent chemicals. They come pre-folded and have little sticky or Velcro tabs that hold them shut. Even the most fumble-fingered novice can figure out how to put them on and, when the diaper is soiled, you simply shake out any fecal matter into the toilet and then toss them in some form of a trash receptacle. Although manufacturers market many different varieties, disposable diapers fall into three general types: basic, which tend to be bulkier than most parents like; ultrathins, which, as the name implies, are thinner and more absorbent; and premium (or supreme), which are thin, highly absorbent, and often have clothlike covers and special fasteners that are easier to reclose after a quick diaper check. A fourth type--overnight--really is a souped-up premium. All come in different sizes keyed to a baby's weight and age, and their styles vary a little--you'll have to experiment to see which type fits your baby best. The advantages of disposables Disposable diapers are extremely easy to put on and remove, readily available, and preferred by daycare centers both because of convenience and hygiene. They hold much more urine and can fit more snugly than cloth diapers, preventing leakage. Although there is some debate whether cloth or disposables are better at warding off diaper rash and other skin irritations, many people maintain that disposables have the advantage because they absorb the urine quickly and lock it in layers away from a baby's skin. Perhaps best of all, you won't face stacks and stacks of urine- and feces-soiled diapers on laundry day if you wash your own. The disadvantages of disposables Sound perfect? Actually, disposables have a few downsides. First, they are more expensive than cloth diapers, even if you spring for a diaper service. Second, they fill up landfills with plastic material that is extremely slow to decompose and baby feces that pollute the ground water (remember, even with disposables you need to shake out the feces into the toilet). Third, in the past year, a German study suggested a possible link between disposable diapers and to both testicular cancer and low sperm counts--much more research is needed to establish an actual cause-and-effect relationship, but the widely publicized study gave many parents pause. Fourth, many parents don't change disposables as often as they should because they think their baby is being kept dry. Finally, dirty diapers in your garbage or diaper pail can smell really, really bad after even a few days. The bottom line Before you make a decision, be sure to read our article on cloth diapers. If you decide to go with disposables, keep in mind that your baby probably will go through 10-12 diapers a day at first. Laying in three or four packs of disposables (150-200 diapers), will save you repeated trips to the supermarket. To save money, you can buy in bulk--packages of 100 versus 20, for instance, or even cases versus individual packages. But be sure to check the actual price per diaper when you do; you might be surprised to find out that in some cases, especially when diapers go on sale, that the smaller packs may cost less per diaper than the economy size. You can also put every member of your extended family on a coupon alert, and stock up on diapers when they go on sale--even diapers the next couple of sizes up.
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