Diaper Rash

Although disposables are an obvious environmental target, they're actually holding their own and gaining ground in the battle against—diaper rash. Yes, diaper rash has become a key focus in the cloth-versus-disposable "diaper wars" now being waged for the hearts and dollars of consumers across North America. Dr. John Blocker, a pediatrician in Phoenix, Arizona, speaks to us often in magazines and on TV about Pampers' superior ability to keep babies dry. P & G's promotional materials claim modern disposables offer superior skin care conditions that lead to fewer and less severe incidents of diaper rash than cloth.

Meanwhile, cloth fights back. The National Association of Diaper Services in Philadelphia says studies have shown that babies who wear their members' cloth diapers get the dreaded rash five times less often than those who use disposables. "Our research indicates that 54 percent of babies who wear cotton diaper-service diapers never have a rash at all."

So the question again becomes: which source do you believe? Keeping a baby's skin healthy is probably more a product of good diapering practices than whether a parent chooses to use cloth or disposables. It makes sense that diaper rash can be prevented or lessened if babies are changed often and their skin is kept thoroughly clean and free of irritating agents including soap, perfume and so on. Still, the influence of saturation advertising is powerful. Companies like Procter & Gamble have a huge edge in "proving" the superiority of their product against the vagaries of diaper rash.

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