History of disposable diapers: the baby revolution

In collaboration with Rokiyah Hosen

The arrival of cloth diapers can be seen as a step backwards. In fact, diapers as we know them today didn 't always exist! When did disposable diapers first appear? How dry was baby before diapers? We tell you all about it in this article.

World without diapers: how do we take care of baby?

Before diapers, babies were swaddled in cloths. Indeed, the main objective was to keep them upright so that their bodies didn't become deformed. So they were swaddled in a first layer of swaddling clothes, with splints to keep their legs straight. This was followed by a second layer to keep the baby warm.

Then, in the 18th century, doctors discovered that leg growth did not depend on swaddling, so splints disappeared. Despite this discovery, the French continued to keep their babies' legs straight in their swaddles. How are swaddles made? Swaddling cloths are actually sheets, blankets or mops. Any fabric will do.

As this swaddling was very difficult to remove, infants were not changed often and remained in their urine or stools for too long. Even when the mother took the time to change him, she would hurry to put the cloths on quickly, lest the baby deform.

Hygiene was very complicated... Nappies had to be washed, so households equipped themselves with washing machines. These were the ancestors of washing machines, the equivalent of kettles in which mothers boiled their cloths. But it wasn' t ideal, because of the humidity, the heat from the pot, and the odors.

Early 19th century: introduction of safety pins

The early 19th century saw lthe arrival of safety-pin diapers. Cotton and hemp squares were held together by safety pins. It was at this time that the urban legend of babies being killed by safety pins was born. Fortunately, this rarely happens, although accidents do happen.

Mid-20th century: arrival of Pampers disposable diapers

In 1961, Pampers launched the first disposable diaper as we know it today. It was a revolution for the time, for parents and for baby's comfort. At first, however, when the products arrived in Europe, parents were reluctant... It's true that the first diaper models were bulky , and children weren't necessarily comfortable moving around.

Before that, in the early '40s, a Swedish stationery company launched a disposable paper designed to be placed between babies ' diapers and bottoms. This corresponds in fact to the protective nappy liner contained in today's disposable diapers.

1971: Peaudouce diapers launched in France

Later, in 1971, Procter & Gamble's Pampers diaper technology was imported into France, and the French diaper brand Peaudouce was born .

Then, a few years later in 1978, the Kimberly Clark group launched Huggies , which became the second largest manufacturer of disposable diapers.

Today, disposable diapers are used all over Europe. A disposable diaper is made up of an outer layer that makes the diaper waterproof, and an inner layer with an absorbent core toabsorb baby's needs and keep him dry.

Baby diapers: a constantly evolving product

Over time, diapers will become progressively more absorbent, thinner and easier to use, with elastics and repositionable tabs, allowing the diaper to s'adapt to baby's morphology and ultimately be more comfortable. 

Better compositions for disposable diapers

In the 2000s, Greenpeace revealed that disposable diapers contain toxic and chemical substances. Then, in 2019, ANSES will publish a study indicating that "dangerous chemical substances" are present in several models of diapers sold in France. This will be the starting point for ecological diapers with healthier compositions. The special feature of these diapers is that plastic will be replaced by natural materials, which are much gentler on your baby's skin, and also more respectful of the environment.

New washable and reusable diapers

In the 1980s, North American studies highlighted the environmental impact of disposable diapers. All this awareness led to a growing demand for cloth diapers. Of course, today's cloth diapers have nothing in common with the diapers of yesteryear.

Training diaper

Finally, the famous training pants. These are used when your baby is learning and/or starting to be potty-trained. They replace your little one's diapers. There are several types available: 

• Disposable paperdiapers;
• Training pants.

Training pants helpabsorb accidents. Of course, they are not as absorbent as conventional diapers.

If your baby asks to be potty-trained, is more mobile and lets you know when his diaper is dirty, you can start topotty training and start replacing diapers with pants or training pants.