Killer Gel in Baby Nappies (......click to go back)
Do you really think so?
There are many websites that claim that
the superabsorbent material common to
most baby nappies has a long history of
poisoning people, killing women and destroying
the environment.
Sounds far-fetched? It is pure rubbish.
What is the superabsorbent in nappies?
Disposable nappies are designed to take in
and hold liquid. To do that, they contain absorbent
pulp (usually woodpulp) and 'superabsorbent' that
is usually a man-made chemical in granular form.
What is the chemical superabsorbent called?
Sodium Polyacrylate is the usual superabsorbent.
In its latest version, The Eco Nappy from Moltex
is made with 20% of the polyacrylate replaced with
a superabsorbent made from plant-based materials.
This is obviously a renewable material that has a
reduced effect on the environment. For performance
reasons, the other 80% continues to be polyacrylate.
The performance of The Eco Nappy is famous, and
as always, the goal is to increase the amount of
renewable materials without compromising performance.
"Superabsorbent causes Toxic Shock Syndrome!"
This is one of the most absurd claims made against
the use of superabsorbent. It is typically made by
people who want to scare mums into buying
washable nappies out of fear that they are risking
the life of their baby if they use disposable nappies.
You may wonder what Toxic Shock Syndrome
(TSS) is. TSS is a very serious and potentially fatal
condition caused by certain bacteria. It came to
public attention in the latter part of the last century
when a cluster of cases occurred in women using
high-performance tampons that had been
developed at that time.
The high performance tampons contained a natural
fibre
called rayon. The absorbency of the rayon fibre caused
the problem, since some women did not change
the tampons as often as they should, and they even
forgot that they had tampons inserted.
It is ironic then, that women suffered from TSS
as a
result of a natural fibre (rayon) and not because of
man-made superabsorbent as is used in nappies.
Superabsorbent was not used in tampons.
Polyacrylate
is a granular material that when wet expands to many
times its dry size. Can you imagine tampons
being made with lots of little granules that swell up
hugely when wet?
Rayon fibres in tampons, "yes", polyacrylate "no".
It is unfortunate that there are those who try to
use scare tactics to frighten mums away from
disposables, rather than providing the facts.
"Polyacrylate will get into your baby."
That's another mad claim. You can even read about
polyacrylate crystals getting into the baby through
nappy rash!!!
The Moltex Eco Nappy from Ecobaby has been certified
as hypoallergenic in clinical trials. It has been
recommended by countless nurses, doctors, and
even more parents, as being their solution to
nappy rash and skin sensitivity.
For over a decade, babies with severe nappy rash
and eczema have found relief when their parents
used The Moltex Eco Nappy. We constantly get reports
of babies with skin reactions to ordinary nappies
that clear up when The Eco Nappy is used.
The Eco Nappy contains superabsorbent crystals
and obviously they don't harm the skin of
those babies.
Superabsorbent and the Environment
We have also come across assertions that
somehow the superabsorbent in baby nappies is harmful to
the environment if the nappy is composted.
Actually, The Moltex Eco Nappy has been composted in
both domestic and municipal composting systems
for almost a decade.
Hundreds of families have used earthworm
composting
to dispose of their nappies, and have found that worm
numbers have increased amazingly. If conditions are not
perfect, worms do not grow in number, they try to move
out.
As regards the soil, the same superabsorbent has
long
been used in horticulture as a water-retention agent,
without any harmful effect whatsoever. You can buy
these superabsorbent granules in almost any garden
centre in Ireland.
Composted Moltex Eco Nappies have formed the basis of
very
successful gardens for the families who have composted
them. Newspaper articles have been written on the subject
and composting is now seen as the ideal disposal route
for used Eco Nappies, especially now that such a high
proportion of the nappy is biodegradable and also
renewable.
Summarising Superabsorbent in Baby Nappies:
Superabsorbent material makes nappies work better
with less use of woodpulp. The nappies can be made
thinner, with a big reduction in material use, and lower
environmental and financial costs of shipping. The
superabsorbent has never been associated with
toxic shock syndrome. Superabsorbent is an inert
material that works like a sponge to pick up and hold
liquid. Superabsorbent does not irritate the skin. On the
contrary, superabsorbent helps prevent nappy rash by
keeping the skin nice and dry. Superabsorbent does
not damage the environment, it does not kill off worms
or microbes, and it does not cause any problems in
composting either municipal or domestic.
If anyone has evidence to the contrary, we would
want
to be the first to be told.