Encyclopedia
- 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.
A
diaper or
nappy 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 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 is a comedy [i] by William Shakespeare [i]. ...
: "Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper". This usage stuck in the
United States and
Canada, but in
Britain the word
nappy took its place.
In addition, disposable diapers are often referred to as "
pampers" at least in the US and Russia, from the popular brand.
Replacing a soiled diaper is commonly referred to as "diaper changing." Not being a pleasant task, it is often the topic of humorous conversation, such as found at .
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. They may be referred to as incontinence pads. Examples include:
Medical
- People suffering from incontinence.
- People who suffer from heavy sleeping.
- Women who are pregnant and must urinate very frequently, and urgently.
- People who are bedridden or recovering from surgery.
- People who are disabled and sometimes confined to a wheelchair, or paralyzed.
Other Examples
- People who have a diaper fetish or are infantilists.
- People diving in diving suits 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.
- 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 .
- Legislators in the midst of a filibuster
- Some Death Row inmates who are about to be executed wear "execution diapers" to collect body fluids expelled during the execution and after their death.
- People who sincerely enjoy having undergarments thicker than normal underwear. Thick diapers have been known to be more comfortable to sit on for an extended time than other underwear.
- Sports fans who do not wish to miss any part of an important game.
- Pilots of Gliders, during long flights.
- Gamblers who do not want to step away from the table.
- Extreme video gamers, especially those who play old arcades that lack a pause function, such as Pac-Man or Space Invaders
Types
Diapers may be made of absorbent layers of
cloth or terry towelling fabric, or of disposable absorbent materials, such as wood pulp or sphagnum moss. The choice to use either cloth or disposable diapers is controversial.
Disposable diapers are a highly processed product, and they can remain intact in landfills for many years . Disposable diapers contain a layer of absorbent wood pulp , and chemicals specifically included to improve absorbancy and wick wetness away from the skin. While this system works well in keeping the skin dry, it can also be a potential skin irritant. Disposable diapers contain chemicals banned in the 80's in womens tampons, but continue to be used today to improve absorbancy in our children's diapers. This is usually what is linked to the skin irritations and what caused toxic shock and then death just recently in a toddler in the United States.
Cloth diapers are reusable and often made with environmentally friendly or sustainable biodegradable material such as Hemp.This places much less stress on landfills, however, they also require laundering and high-temperature water to be properly cleaned.
A life cycle analysis is one way to choose between disposable diapers and reusable cloth diapers. This analysis attempts to take into account all the environmental factors, including raw material and energy usage, air and water pollution emissions, and waste management issues. Several such analyses have concluded that when all factors are taken into account, both types of diapers have roughly the same environmental effect. Others have come to opposing conclusions, depending on the biases of the investigators and the assumptions they made.
Cloth
Cloth diapers can be made of industrial
cotton. The fabric may be
bleached white or now more commonly left a natural colour. Alternative materials which are becoming much more popular and more common are grown without pesticides, such as unbleached
hemp and organic cotton.
Cloth diapers have become more user friendly in recent years. Pre-formed cloth diapers with snaps or hook and loop fasteners and all-in-one diapers with waterproof 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 with an opening in the back for insertion of absorbent material. 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.
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. 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. If thrown into a landfill, cotton diapers decompose within six months. 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 . 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 byproduct from paper mills 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 USA 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.. 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. Some studies have shown a higher rate of low sperm counts among males who wore disposable diapers as babies.
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 of managing a small bladder and emotional issues . Some older children also need diapers while traveling. These children may use standard but larger size diapers or special diapers which mimic underwear and do not require complex fastening or adult assistance, such as
GoodNites.
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 . 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 . 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 .
- Dogs .
- Monkeys and chimps .
- Birds .
External links
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- a brief history of diaper manufacturing
