WHO INVENTED DISPOSABLE DIAPERS?
THE AMAZING HISTORY OF DISPOSABLE DIAPERS
If you ever raised children you will be fascinated to learn about the history of disposable diapers! If you were a diaper changer “in the good old days” you may even yell “Hooray!!” for throw away diapers!
KEEPING BABY CLEAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG CHALLENGE!
Ancient diapers consisted of animal skins, moss, linens, and even leaves. In many warmer climates babies just went naked and parents tried to anticipate when there might be a “problem” (especially indoors). Up in the far north, Eskimo mothers placed moss under sealskin. Native American mothers and Inca mothers in South America packed grass under a diaper type cover made of soft rabbit skins. Not a bad idea . . . just don’t run out of dry grass!
Cloth diapers began to be used in the early 1600’s, however, they were changed so infrequently that babies (and everyone one else) were miserable, as you can well imagine. In fact, “in the early days” diapers were rarely washed but just dried before reapplying. YUK!
In the early 1900’s people finally became aware of the problem of bacteria and began to wash and even boil diapers between uses. Don’t tell babies about the “good old days!”
At long last, in 1946 a housewife and mother by the name of Marion Donovan of Westport, Connecticut, changed one too many wet diapers and wet bed sheets and tried something new. She covered a conventional cloth diaper with a piece of plastic shower curtain and was later granted 4 patents for her designs including the use of plastic snaps that replaced the traditional safety pins. Even plastic pull-ups were designed by this creative mother and grandmother. She was eventually elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015.
PAMPERS AT LAST!
“Pampers” became a product name of Proctor and Gamble and was introduced to the public in 1961. Then in 1973 Pampers were equipped with adhesive pull tabs which made the chore of diaper changing much easier. These pull tabs remind me of my teen-aged son Chris and a teen nephew who worked together desperately trying to change the diaper of their baby cousin . . . they finally became frustrated after pulling the pull tabs off several diapers and held that diaper in place with a two foot piece of duct tape. Whatever works!
DISPOSABLE WASTE SYSTEM “INVENTED” BY THE DIVINE CREATOR:
The first real disposable waste system was the creative work of none other than the Creator of the universe.
Feeding baby song birds is a full time job for their parents who rush in and out of the nest all day to satisfy their famished babies. But, as you know, what goes in must also go out and the nest could soon become a real mess. Imagine the bird nests being filled up by the waste of three or four babies! They would be pushed higher and higher, closer and closer to the rim of the nest by the rising sewage level. Besides the problem of health the chicks would be in danger of tumbling out of the nest and the smell would attract dangerous predators.
Their Creator had an ingenious solution to this serious problem: the first “disposable!” Each chick’s fecal matter has a mucous membrane that surrounds it. The parent then removes this plastic-like sac and drops it away from the nest as it flies off to find additional food for the ravishing babies. Shortly before the babies can fly away from the nest, they stop producing those disposable sacs and in a way, are forced to stretch their wings and fly away!
The next time you see tiny chicks in a bird’s nest, lift your heart in praise to the Lord Who provided for their safety and cleanliness by equipping them with the first BIODEGRADABLE and DISPOSABLE diaper system!
Our Creator is filled with incredible ideas isn’t He!
Some of the material for this article was gleaned from a wonderful book entitled “Inspired Evidence” by Julie Von Velt and Bruce Malone.