Ultrathin Superabsorbent Disposables Diapers

Superabsorbent "ultra-thin" disposables are another aspect of the issue that deserves closer attention. They landed on store shelves in 1986 and the alarm bells sounded immediately. The superabsorbent agent ins~e these diapers is crystals made of synthetic polyacrylate. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency menstrual tampons. until 1985, when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of tampon-associated toxic shock syndrome.

Concerns about this material prompted the president of the Empire State Consumer Association, Judy Braiman-Lipson, to petition the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the New York State attorney general and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to stop the sale of these superabsorbent diapers and adult incontinence pads. The Consumer Product Safety Commission examined the industry's safety data and decided that the polyacrylate granules were safe for infant exposure. Health and Welfare Canada has made a similar pronouncement.

Yet Braiman-Lipson remains unconvinced. She argues that studies simply haven't been done that examine the effects of the polyacrylate granules migrating to the reproductive organs of babies. One mother in Phoenix contacted a local hospital worried about the tiny compressible beads of gel oozing from her four-month-old daughter's vagina. They were found to be the gel matrix from superabsorbent diapers. Manufacturers seem to have a problem creating a "fail-safe" design that keeps the polyacrylate granules inside the diaper linings. Three parents we spoke to had found the round, clear crystals on their babies' skin.

Government standards for infant diapers do not exist in the United States or Canada. This became especially clear after consumer groups raised questions about the superabsorbent diapers. Companies may do their own safety testing before marketing a product but they're not legally required to do so. And they're not required to submit evidence of safety or efficacy before shipping their diapers to the supermarket or pharmacy shelf.

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