Do chemicals in disposable diapers pose any health risks?
Concerns have been raised, according to the Green Guide Institute, a nonprofit environmental research and information organization. But no conclusive evidence of harm has emerged. For example: • Sodium polyacrylate crystals, the superabsorbent ingredient in disposables, were linked to toxic shock among tampon users about three decades ago. But tampons enter the body, while diapers remain outside. According to the Green Guide Institute, a later study suggested that tampon habits, rather than materials, caused toxic shock. • A 2000 German study of 48 boys found that those who wore disposable diapers had higher scrotum temperatures than those in cloth diapers. That raised a theoretical risk of lower sperm count. But a 2002 study found scrotal temperatures to be the same, regardless of whether boys wore disposables or cotton diapers with covers. It’s important to pay attention to research that points out potential harm, Jana says. But she reassures parents that she has not seen long-term h
