Diaper

This article is about the garment. Diapering is also a term in Heraldry and in decorative art generally for an all-over repeating pattern. For the geological term, see diapir.

Baby diapers are often imprinted with child-friendly designs.

A diaper (in North America) or nappy (in the British Isles and many Commonwealth countries) is an absorbent garment worn by individuals who are incontinent, that is, lack control over bladder or bowel movements, or who are unable to reach the toilet when needed. This group primarily includes infants and young children, as well as some elderly people and some with a physical or mental disability.

Word origin

The word diaper, which shares the same root as "diaphanous," originally referred to the type of cloth rather than its use. Diaper cloth was originally linen. The first known reference is in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew: "Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper". This usage stuck in the United States and Canada, but in Britain the word nappy (short for baby napkin) took its place.

In addition, diapers are often referred to as "pampers" at least in the US and Russia, from the popular brand.

Adult usage

Diapers are occasionally worn by adults who are unable or not allowed to reach a toilet for longer than their bladders can hold out. Examples are:

• People suffering from incontinence.
• People who have a diaper fetish or are infantilists.
• People who suffer from Heavy sleeping.
• Guards who must remain on duty; this is sometimes called the "watchman's urinal".
• Truck drivers forced to do long hours of non-stop driving (skipping mandated pauses is against the law in many countries, but still very common).
• A person diving in a diving suit (in former times often a standard diving dress) continuously for several hours.
• Astronauts during liftoff and landing who must remain at a post for hours for safety, and also during an extra-vehicular activity.
• A woman who is pregnant and must urinate very frequently, and urgently.
• Legislators in the midst of a filibuster (an activity often referred to as "taking to the diaper")[1]
• Some Death Row inmates who are about to be executed wear an "execution diaper" to collect body fluids expelled during the execution and after the prisoner is dead.

Types

Diapers may be made of absorbent layers of cloth or terry towelling fabric, or of disposable absorbent materials. The choice to use either cloth or disposable diapers is controversial. While cloth diapers are certainly cheaper than disposables over time, environmental impact, health and convenience also play a role in the decision. However, all of the studies which started the controversy in the early 1990s were funded by Procter & Gamble, which manufactures the vast majority of disposable diapers, and was facing growing criticism at that time.

Cloth

Cloth diapers are washable and reusable and place less stress on landfills. To clean them, people use laundry detergent and water or send the soiled diapers to a cleaner. Users of top-loading washers may use 20,000 US gallons (76 m³) of water in a 2.5 year period, whereas users of front-loading machines may use 10,000 US gallons (38 m³).[2] Cloth diaper-wearing children tend to toilet train earlier, because the cloth retains moisture, which allows the child to feel when he or she is wet and/or dirty and associate the feeling with elimination. Cloth diaper-wearing children go through about 6,000 diaper changes.[3] If thrown into a landfill, cotton diapers decompose within six months.[4] Cloth diapers are most commonly made of industrial cotton, which is grown in conjunction with the heavy use of pesticides. The fabric is also usually bleached white. Alternative materials which are grown without pesticides, such as unbleached hemp and organic cotton exist.

Cloth diapers have become more user friendly in recent years. Pre-formed cloth diapers with snaps or Velcro and all-in-one diapers with wet-proofed exteriors are now available, in addition to the older pre-fold and pin variety. Increasingly popular are "pocket" or "stuffable" diapers, which consist of a water-resistant outer shell sewn on three sides to a stay-dry liner. Pocket diapers are stuffed with a folded absorbent towel. Some find pocket diapers to combine the ease of use of an all-in-one with the rinsability and quick drying of a flat. Some cities offer a cloth diapering service which delivers clean diapers and picks up soiled ones for a fee. Cloth diapers may be used in conjunction with elimination communication as a back-up in case of an accident.

Incontinent persons and their caregivers often find that cloth diapers are more cost effective and comfortable when in the home.

Disposable

Modern disposable diapers are generally made of a cloth-like waterproof exterior, a moisture-wicking inside layer, and an absorbent inner core (in modern diapers usually a dried hydrogel). The first mention of the disposable diaper was made by Pauli Ström in Sweden, in 1942. The early disposable diapers had an inner of many layers of tissue paper, and were able to hold 100cc of urine, which is approximately one wetting. In the 1960's, a pulp mill was used for the absorbent core, and the disposable diaper became much more popular for the families who could afford them.

Disposable diapers have overtaken the cloth diaper market and put many diaper services out of business due to their convenience and relatively small bulk on the baby. Approximately 18 billion units of disposable diapers were sold in the US in 2004.

Disposable diapers take a great deal of processing and their materials remain intact in landfills for many years -- some reports estimate 500 years.[5]. Some countries have banned the deposit of untreated waste in landfills by now, so this is becoming less of a problem; when incinerated, disposable diapers leave very little residue. Because disposable diapers wick moisture away from the child's body, children tend not to realize they are wet, which may be the reason that disposable diaper-wearing children may toilet train later than children who wear cloth diapers. As a result, these children may require 8,000 disposable diapers before they are toilet trained. The result is that, while a cloth diaper costs more per unit, a disposable diaper will cost considerably more over time, as a cloth diaper can be laundered and re-used, whereas a disposable cannot.

Disposable diapers are laced with chemicals obtained unintentionally in production, as well as intentionally in order to improve absorbancy and pull wetness away from the skin. While this system works well in keeping skin dry, it also provides a potential skin irritant.

The inherent convenience factor of being able to simply throw away a soiled diaper, rather than undertake the necessary chore of washing it, has led to disposable diapers dominating the US diaper marketplace for both children and adults.

Other

A recent development is a hybrid reusable / flushable system, with an outer fashionable pant which is re-used, and an interior absorbent part which is disposed and is fully flushable and compostable.

In former times in some areas, a wad of sphagnum moss was often used as a disposable diaper.

Traditional baby care practices similar to elimination communication are used instead of diapering in most developing countries. In industrialized countries, elimination communication is sometimes used to reduce dependence on diapers for infant care.

Length of use

While awake, most children no longer need diapers when past two to four years of age, depending on culture, diaper type, parental habits, and the child's personality. However, some children have problems with daytime or more commonly nocturnal bladder control until eight years or older. This may occur for a variety of reasons, the most common being the as yet insufficient production of ADH in the young child's body. Other reasons include the difficulty managing a small bladder and emotional issues (but emotional issues are a less common reason than generally believed). Some older children also need diapers while traveling. These children may use standard but larger size diapers (youth diapers) or special diapers which mimic underwear and do not require complex fastening or adult assistance.

Frequency of changing

When to change a diaper is the decision of the caregiver. Some people believe that diapers should be changed at fixed times of the day for a routine, such as after naps and after meals. Other people believe that diapers should be changed when they feel a change is needed regardless of timing. Still others people believe a diaper should be changed immediately upon wetting or soiling. And, some believe that a diaper should be changed only when the wearer is uncomfortable, the diaper is full, the diaper is leaking, or the wearer has a bowel movement.

To avoid skin irritation, commonly referred to as diaper rash, the diaper of those prone to it should be changed as soon as possible after it is soiled (especially by fecal matter). The combination of urine and feces creates ammonia. Ammonia irritates skin and can cause painful redness. During the change, after the buttocks are cleaned and dried, some people use baby oil, barrier creme or baby powder to reduce the possibility of irritation. The most effective means to prevent and treat diaper rash is to expose the buttocks to air and sunshine as often as possible. There are also drying creams based on such ingredients as zinc oxide which can be used to treat diaper rash. Before disposing of a diaper, either in a diaper pail for washing or the garbage, fecal matter should be removed as much as possible and placed in a toilet to avoid landfill and ground water contamination.

Diapers and Nonhuman Species

Diapers and diaper-like products are sometimes used on animals (mostly pets, but also sometimes laboratory and working animals). This is often due to the animal not being housebroken. Though, it may also be for older, sick, or injured pets who have become incontinent. In some cases, these are simply baby diapers with holes cut for the tails to fit through. In other cases, they are diaper-like waste collection devices. Animals that are commonly diapered include:

• Horses (often so their manure can be used for fertilizer or so the horses can be used in public settings without leaving droppings on the ground)
• Dogs (often when a female is "on the rag")
• Monkeys and chimps (especially trained animals who appear on TV shows, in movies, or for live entertainment or educational appearances)
• Pet birds (for birds that are allowed to fly freely around their owners' homes).