Chemicals in disposable nappies

Chemicals in disposable nappies:

Chemical Products and Baby Health

Disposable nappies contain many types of chemicals to make them fluffy, white and super-absorbent.

There are no production standards or any government control to say what is safe to have in disposable nappies. Nor is there any information on what should not be used. Therefore little is actually known about the chemicals which sit against your baby’s absorbent skin for 2.5 years. (Or longer depending upon when your baby is out of nappies.)

Tributyl tin (TBT) is known to disrupt sex hormones. It is used in many disposable nappy brands.

Studies have also suggested that the slightly higher temperatures inside disposable nappies compared with cloth, may be contributing to a decline in male fertility. This higher temperature is down to the plastic covering around the nappy which makes it waterproof.  Unlike the PUL covers that we use with Ecobots, this is not breathable.

Other studies have suggested that chemicals in disposable nappies can cause breathing problems such as asthma. This is certainly not something that you would wish to expose your tiny baby to on a regular basis.

Many parents who use disposable nappies have experienced ‘crystals’ on their babies bottom when changing. These are the chemicals from within the disposable nappies. They lock away the moisture sticking to your babies skin.

As nappy manufacturers are not required to disclose their “ingredients” there is no way of telling which of these chemicals are present in any particular brand of nappies.  You have no way of knowing therefore which chemicals you are exposing your baby to.

Click here to read more about using other products such as shampoo on your baby.