Even though the diaper companies have a stockpile of diapers they will raise the price.

Oh my gosh! What are parents to do! ! ! Imagine the horror of having to wash dirty diapers instead of just throwing them away. No matter where you are. At your house. On the ground right next to two trash cans. At the beach. At the park. Along the side of the highway.

And of course there is also the other, by now standard. They will have to raise the price of gasoline now because there is a shortage of. . . . Ummmm. . . . . Something that the oil companies will figure out for all of us.

I wonder if the adult diaper industry will be affected too. That would be a problem for babies in the Senate.

Gary Cooper

Oh my gosh! What are parents to do! ! ! Imagine the horror of having to wash dirty diapers instead of just throwing them away.

I live in an apartment with coin laundry, and have a newborn.

Thanks for your complete and total lack of concern. How old are you, 12 ?

What a bag of crap from the diaper industry to justify higher prices. One accident in Japan is enough to send diaper prices higher? Is the world's supply of diaper dependent on a Japanese monoply?

The diaper industry needs a better excuse to raise prices. Try global warming or blame the drought or play the China Card.

Hey out of the woods whiner. Sounds like there are two babies in your apartment. Grow up and learn to deal. Or is it still your parents' apartment?

oh sht! Were out of diapers!

@ WallStFatCat

Is the world's supply of diaper dependent on a Japanese monoply?

If you'd read the article you'd have found that the Japanese factory produces 10% of the compound and that the other plants are at full production, which means the other plants will charge more for their product. Less competition, higher prices! It ought to be right up your allycat ways!

Justoljoe. Most don't read the article. They take the headline at face value and run with it. Then again, MSN/NBC way overstating the case with the headline.

It might cripple the world's diaper output, but I'm betting the world"s diaper INPUT stays the same!

What's going to happen now? The politicians who are putting out so much sht are going to have to be more careful where they "dispense" it! We may even be forced to see more sht during the political commercials! Oh, the terror!!!!!

out of the woods

Gary Cooper

Oh my gosh! What are parents to do! ! ! Imagine the horror of having to wash dirty diapers instead of just throwing them away.

I live in an apartment with coin laundry, and have a newborn.

Thanks for your complete and total lack of concern. How old are you, 12 ?

Back in the stone ages, before "disposable diapers," lots of parents with newborns lived in apartment buildings with coin-operated laundry. They survived. Having to pay more for a product that pollutes, or using a regular diaper that has to be cleaned, isn't exactly a zombie-apocalypse scenario.

Guess the world will be a wee bit stinkier for a while...

Oh, and "out of the woods", Try washable diapers. Cheaper in the long run and good for the environment. I'm sick of seeing disposable diapers on the side of the road.

Oh no! What are the Democrat liberals going to do with themselves now! Where's the next condom-freak Fluke to come along and whine that others should pay for their diapers now?

Liberal Democrats and their policies are like babies: an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

Firefighters couldn't figure out why the fire wasn't going out.

They kept spraying water on the fire but it wasn't working the way it should.

One firefighter was quoted as saying, "It was like the water was getting absorbed somehow..."

An investigation is underway. Stay tuned for details.

Have any of you ever used cloth diapers? I have, and exclusively at one point. It isn't nearly as easy as disposables, especially in that you have to figure out what will work for each child. I have 2 in diapers, and spraying out 6 poopy diapers a day got old very fast. It was something I was happy to do with one child, and it was MY idea. However, add a colicy newborn and a toddler with health issues and it was just too much.

Those of you, especially men, gripping that a coin laundry isn't a big deal, you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. No clue, so how about you look at your own lives and see what you can do for the environment rather then try to tell others what they should do?? There is nothing that could convince me to take a 3 and 1 year old to the laundry mat. You also DO know that you have to do 2 washes, correct? And if you can't hang your laundry, you are supposed to dry the diaper covers, pockets, and all in ones on low heat, so you don't damage the material. Which takes LONGER. You have to periodically, every 2 weeks, sometimes longer if you have good water, strip your diapers. Which means washing the diapers 3 or more times before you can dry them.

Again, clueless people should shut it.

I'm not terribly concerned, I already have a nice sized stockpile due to couponing, for free. AND I still have my cloth diapers as back up. So for me, it isn't a disaster. I just think its crap when obviously clueless people go on and on.

out of the woods, ever here the words. Diaper Service????

There is nothing that could convince me to take a 3 and 1 year old to the laundry mat.

SO where's daddy? My wife never had to take the kid to the grocery store, laundromat or any other kind of shopping unless she wanted too or needed them like when clothes shopping for the kid. If he can make'm he should be able to watch'em.

finn85

Have any of you ever used cloth diapers? I have, and exclusively at one point. It isn't nearly as easy as disposables, especially in that you have to figure out what will work for each child. I have 2 in diapers, and spraying out 6 poopy diapers a day got old very fast. It was something I was happy to do with one child, and it was MY idea. However, add a colicy newborn and a toddler with health issues and it was just too much.

Those of you, especially men, gripping that a coin laundry isn't a big deal, you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. No clue, so how about you look at your own lives and see what you can do for the environment rather then try to tell others what they should do?? There is nothing that could convince me to take a 3 and 1 year old to the laundry mat. You also DO know that you have to do 2 washes, correct? And if you can't hang your laundry, you are supposed to dry the diaper covers, pockets, and all in ones on low heat, so you don't damage the material. Which takes LONGER. You have to periodically, every 2 weeks, sometimes longer if you have good water, strip your diapers. Which means washing the diapers 3 or more times before you can dry them.

Again, clueless people should shut it.

I'm not terribly concerned, I already have a nice sized stockpile due to couponing, for free. AND I still have my cloth diapers as back up. So for me, it isn't a disaster. I just think its crap when obviously clueless people go on and on.

So, one more time, you have to wash out diapers in a washing machine, including at a laundramat? So what? You had your two kids, so you deal with it. My parents lived in apartments before they bought a house so my mother had to take two diaper-poopie kids to a laundramat and deal with it. She lived to be in her late 80's. When they bought a home, they also purchased a ringer-washer machine and no dryer. They survived, especially my mom who had to do laundry three-to-four times a week.

Don't expect any sympathy because some have to pay a few nickels more for a "disposable diaper" that ends up polluting in a landfill, or else do laundry. Others did just fine before "disposable diapers." If some can't, that says a great deal about their mothering. Choosing to have kids, and most start as pooping newborns, is just that: a choice. Don't expect any reward for it. Don't like poopy and colicy kids? Don't have them.

Jhawke -

Liberal Democrats and their policies are like babies: an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

I love it!! You have single-handedly described the entire Libtard party in one sentence!

(((STANDING OVATION)))

haha men are clueless. just in case you couldn't deciper my username, boys. bahahahahahaha.

Well this is a good opportunity to move in to that market. Instead of the USA depending on everybody and their brother maybe we could create some new jobs here.

Billie-2352729

Thank you. You get it. Everybody else is either worried about the fact that disposable diapers might go up $1 and the rest want to point out how they had to deal with cloth diapers that they forgot that a 28 year old firefighter lost there life and 30 more people were injured, possibly seriously, while trying to put this thing out. Good chance that firefighter and some of those 30 injured have children in diapers and I doubt the price of diapers or wether they use disposable or cloth is much on their minds right now.

My condolences also to the firefighters family for being brave enough to do that job and hoping all recover and quickly.

Finally! I was going through wondering if anyone would realize that a LIFE was lost here..and all people seem to care about is fighting about prices and cloth diapers. So sad to see where priorities are in our society.

And cloth diapering doesn't have to be that much harder...if you use proper detergent (I just make my own) you don't have to strip the diapers that often..and you don't have to dry them at all in the dryer..just hang them up. You don't have to do two full washes usually..Mine are fine with a hot wash, cold rinse, and one extra rinse. Haven't had an issue with build-up yet.

Even in an apartment, you could put up temp clotheslines when you need them, and take them down when you're done. A couple of discreet hooks and some line and voila, not even an eyesore. Yes, it's a few extra loads of laundry..and yes, laundry is expensive in apartments (been there!) it is still cheaper to buy cloth diapers and pay more in laundry than to buy disposables..assuming you only buy what you need and not always go for the more expensive brand name, cute pattern diapers. (Yea, pet peeve when cloth diapering mommas say they do it for the cost savings..but have well over 100 of the most expensive cutesy diapers they just HAD to buy). I'm expecting my 4th baby about the time my oldest will turn 5, so I know the value of your time with lots of littles around..not to mention, how difficult it is to do laundry with littles around! It is possible though, and it does get easier as they learn what to expect.

And really..if someone doesn't agree..who cares. It's their life, their money.

We do cotton diapers and it's times like these that I'm glad we do.

Most people today are just too spoiled to deal with washing diapers!

This is the age of throw it away! I think it would be wonderful to see regular diapers used again. And what the hell is this acrylic acid they are putting in diapers anyway. Word ACID makes me wonder...

butterfly,

Acrylic acid is a key component in Sodium Polyacrylate, a super absorbent polymer. It absorbs water at a rate of about 300 times its own weight. Sodium Polyacrylate exists as lttle crystals mixed in with the paper based fillings of disposable diapers. It has other uses too and is available in garden stores and can be mixed in with soil to increase the amount of water it will hold. It is useful in potted plants and allows for less frequent watering, A lot of industrial uses to. It is available in a product called AquaGems or generically, water marbles. Typically they come in little round pellets about an 1/8 of and inch and when put in water, they swell up to about a half inch or so looking a lot like marbles. They make for interesting cut floral arrangements when put in a clear vase. They come in different colors and/or will absorb colored water.

The material is considered as non-hazardous, however there have not been significant studies regarding the potential dangers. Sodium Polyacrylate was at one point used in tampons and was linked to toxic shock syndrome. That specific use is no longer allowed. It is still used in other feminine hygiene products. Japan pioneered its use in these type products and absorbent bed pads.

The actual dangers aren't specifically known, however some theories suggest that because the product is so absorbent, there may be a tendency to not change these products out as frequently as would occur with natural fiber based products which become saturated much quicker. That potentially sets up an opportunity for bacterial or chemical processes to occur in close contact with the body. Another known hazardous chemical found in diapers in trace amounts is Dioxin. This is a byproduct of chlorine based bleaching which may sometimes be used with the other fibrous material production.

Sodium Polyacrylate is probably safe in itself and issues with disposable diapers more likely are based in the potential dangers of leaving soiled diapers in place for longer periods. To use these products with the thought of reducing the amount of diaper changing may be a misguided idea. However, using them specifically to better contain the waste and prevent leaks may very well be fine and potentially beneficial, if used judiciously. These diaper do contain a number of chemicals, some which are considered hazardous at higher levels. In most cases, these are found in relatively trace amounts. Arguably, washing cloth diapers with strong detergents and bleaches also will leave some trace chemicals in the cloth. There is a lot of speculation about disposables being potentially hazardous and you can find it on the web, however there is little evidence based on scientific study. However, you will be hard pressed to find any credible scientific study on their use.

The ecological impacts of the disposables is an interesting debate. Most end up in landfills, but there are so-called eco-friendly ones that are flushable and decompose quickly. Washing cloth re-usable diapers uses a lot of water. When disposables aren't disposed of properly, they can be disgusting and may be a potential health hazard. Generally, when you also consider the manufacturing ecological impacts, re-usable products tend to be more eco friendly, use less energy and produce less waste. They tend to be cheaper in the long run too. We tend to like convenience and are usually willing to pay for it. The industry associated with providing such conveniences does produce jobs and is part of the overall economy.

So any way you look at it, there are trade offs. Easier doesn't necessarily mean better and "better" is a very subjective term. As consumers, we should make informed decisions, but we frequently don't. The best advice is that when you don't know or have doubts, do some research. Very often you won't find anything conclusive and often you'll find conflicting information, but you will become better informed in the process.

Aspirin is an acid. Don't worry about it.

These countries don't care about polluting the earth or sending toxic products to the USA. So when you find a better solution then let me know. You can thank our government. Why do we have to be so dependent on these other countries? Just makes me sick or is that just a product from China thats making me sick that I use in my household or car?

They will Monkeychanger, gas and @!$%# go hand in hand.

Yeah, it really pisses me off !

Then if that is true (gas will rise in price) then your precious government will be happy to continue to collect the tax they levy on gas won't they.

may cripple global diaper output

Rest assured it will not effect diaper input

Oh heaven forbid that mothers should ever go back to using cloth diapers that they have to wash out!! Whatever happened to the good 'ol days when that's all that was available?

Those were the good old days when people did not have to go out and have two jobs just to make ends meet. Only stay-at-home moms can do that now, and there are not that many left that can afford it.

My wife and I raised two girls, and we never used plastic diapers because they were expensive to us. This was about 40 or more years ago, and we used the cotton diapers, and did not use a diaper service. There was some onerous work in cleaning the diapers after they had been used, but we got over it. A couple of times a week, I would go across the street to the laundromat, with one or two 30 gallon plastic bags full of diapers, and tie up five or six washing machines and driers at a time. The other customers stared at me as though I were some kind of diaper cleaning washing machine hogging monster. Then I had to bring them back in clean plastic bags and help my wife fold them.

Oddly enough, this did not kill me. It did not enrage me. It did not demean me. It was a necessary part of raising two infants, and I never begrudged it for a second. One of us had to stay home and watch the girls while this was done, and I was certainly the physically stronger of the two of us, so it kind of became my job by default. Now, over forty years later, we have a washer and dryer in the apartment unit, and it would have been so nice to have had that back then.

Frankly, I think the plastic diapers used today are an environmental nightmare - they wind up in landfills, and are frequently strewn wherever the parents please, even at places like the beach, which is truly disgusting and shameful. We didn't have the option of disposing of diapers, because they cost money, and were designed to be cleaned and re-used. So if the disposable diaper shortage does materialize, I will not be feeling any sympathy for those affected by it.

IRESPOND-2315268

Those were the good old days when people did not have to go out and have two jobs just to make ends meet. Only stay-at-home moms can do that now, and there are not that many left that can afford it.

Yes those were the same good old days when the government felt they didn't have to provide cradle to grave entitlements so stay at home moms could stay at home and the dad could go to work and provide for HIS family instead of his AND everybody else!!

Unfortunately, now, most mothers work, ain't nobody got time for dat!

go to work and provide for HIS family instead of his AND everybody else!!

There is a big confusion about "entitlements". I agree that there are too many people on food stamps, but that is not the problem. All those people from the "good old days" are now older, and they have been paying Social Security and Medicaid all their life, or have you never had a paycheck?

To take that away that to give them a ridiculous "voucher",, so the billionares and millionaires can increase their profits, and the military can increase the war machine -as if it was not big enough already- is the problem.

IRESPOND-2315268

Those were the good old days when people did not have to go out and have two jobs just to make ends meet. Only stay-at-home moms can do that now, and there are not that many left that can afford it.

Newsflash: Wrong again! Plenty of moms worked back then, it was the 60's and 70's, not the 40's!

REB-1013231

"Yes those were the same good old days when the government felt they didn't have to provide cradle to grave entitlements so stay at home moms could stay at home and the dad could go to work and provide for HIS family instead of his AND everybody else!!"

According to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities the effective federal income tax rate on middle income families is less now than it was in 1972. Please provide a reference that supports the assertion you made above.

margeimpalla123

Think about it. The tax rates are lower but the pay outs are larger. We are borrowing the money from all around the world to pay for the deficiet spending needed to finance the "safety nets" we've constructed. People believe they are entitled for food, shelter, medical care etc. etc. without paying for it. That mentality is not what was felt by people in the good old days.

Oh and IRESPOND - that is Medicare NOT Medicaid which is part of the "safety net"society. People pay into Medicare and not Medicaid. Also the vouchers you so much hate won't effect those over age 55 (probably 53) and in reality people with higher incomes would get less money to pay for their health care not the SAME as everybody. The lower income prople get more. Just like all you libs want . People that make more pay more.

Newsflash: Wrong again! Plenty of moms worked back then, it was the 60's and 70's, not the 40's!

It was just starting to get better, but there is no comparison whit the amount of women that are working TODAY.

Here, you can read this:

During the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, advocates worked to overturn the idea that a woman’s place is in the home (or a mill or war-time factory), and that women should pursue their own professional careers. Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique brought up the idea of female discontentment and a the image of the “trapped housewife.”

The post-war housewife of the ‘50’s proved an unfulfilling and boring role for many women, and feminism was re-born in the following decades. After the birth control pill was introduced, birth rates fell, and more women began to question women’s relegation to the kitchen. Radical feminism called for an end to this “women’s slavery.”

While many branches of feminism resulted from the women’s lib movements of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, they all encouraged women to explore professional careers outside the home. Women began taking more jobs in offices, and in previously male-dominated fields like government and science firms.

http://www.thewomenareangry.org/work

I wished women hadn't burned the bra's in the 1960's, I love the whole (now just a memory) stay at home mom be there for her children when they got home from school idea. I think it is what is missing in our society. Of course, I think it is great that women have made the strides they have, but really for a while I just wanted to be June Cleaver!

I use cloth and have for over 2 years, never once having a washer/dryer in our home and many times having to hand wash and line dry. I have hauled a toddler and a baby to the laundrymat solo many a time as well. Was it fun? No, but it needed done and we all survivied the trip. I know many working moms that use cloth diapers as well as stay at home moms, single moms, even a few single dads...they make it work. Cloth is cheaper in the long run, not that hard to clean and much better for both baby and the environment. Disposables are down right expensive and with all the chemicals in them definitely not the better option in my opinion.
How many of you using disposables actual dispose of the waste properly? You are actually supposed to dump the solid waste into the toilet before disposing, so not only are you adding plastic diapers to the landfills but also hazardous waste. Don't make excuses for laziness, cloth is now a perfectly easy and affordable option if people would just give it a try.

Also the vouchers you so much hate won't effect those over age 55 (probably 53) and in reality people with higher incomes would get less money to pay for their health

I think that there should be a choice. If you want a voucher, go ahead. Those that do not wish to get a voucher, should not get one, and they should keep their benefits. How about anybody that is 50? Do you think that they have another 50 years to keep on giving to Medicare and Social Security, just to have another person just like Paul Ryan when they turn 100, and say: "Only people over 101 will get vouchers"

I think it is what is missing in our society. Of course, I think it is great that women have made the strides they have, but really for a while I just wanted to be June Cleaver

Things really have not changed. Women still clean the house, take care of the children AND NOW PAY THE BILLS. The Republicans think that they still can tell women what to do. Never mind that working women are the majority, and many are the bread winners. Those men need to get their minds out of the 50's.

I think that many women will agree with me. THAT IS WHY OBAMA HAS THE LEAD WITH WOMEN.

IRESPOND-2315268

I think that there should be a choice. If you want a voucher, go ahead. Those that do not wish to get a voucher, should not get one, and they should keep their benefits.

You do know that that was offered by the Republicans don't you? Same old noyhing from the Dems.

oh my gosh. people are lazy. cloth diapers not that hard. i do and would never use a disposable. my mother has 2 chronically ill children, one is also autistic, owns a business and guess what CLOTH diapers. cloth diapering is as hard as starting the washing machine. really not the epidemic some of you are making it in to. disposable diapers is essentially giving your kids your wallet telling them too poop in it and throwing it away. maybe the second job wouldn't be necessary if you weren't spending 1000$ a year in diapers, plus diaper cream.

LOL @ necessities. Don't you have a yard you can let the kid go in?

LOL

So sad for those killed/injured... but really folks, cloth diapering is alive and well. I have cloth diapered the last 3 while working full time. I've washed diapers in the sink or a 5 gallon bucket. It was quicker to wash diapers and hang them to dry (over the shower curtain when weather did not cooperate) than to earn the $ to purchase throw away diapers. Many of my diapers are cut from old tee shirts, (free) I learned to fold and fit them on Youtube. A few bought covers and we were set. Is it really so great to wrap your child's sensitive parts in plastic, paper and chemicals, then dump your mess where we all have to deal with it?

The reusable diaper industry is actually booming right now. There are many companies that are catering to those of us who want to use reusable diapers. We save about 60-100 a month on diapers just by using our reusable.

Tell you what, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and go into business cleaning dirty diapers for about the same cost as it would be to buy new ones. Or are you one of those liberals who wants other people to do the hard work for their agenda?

WHy is it we have to listen to this liberal crap everytime you lunatic right wingers have a chance to post anything on these sites? Liberals built this country up from the bottom after a conservative ruined it back in 29. Then we trusted you people to run it and again we went to the brink of ruin because ou people could not handle it and your policies were just as bad as they were before the earlier crash. Add to that the present republican party is so far to the right that even you moderates have no place in it so that means 85% of the US is a Liberal to you. Hardly has any punch does it when you see the real meaning of the world is just BS propaganda and not fact. Get a life will you....

FlatIron - as a matter of fact, I'm an independent who leans more right than left, but you miss the point. There was no political spin intended - economic comment, certainly. If you wish to continue to mortgage your future I'd say be my guest, but it isn't, strictly speaking, your call alone to make now, is it? Depends on the metric you use to calculate cost, doesn't it?

@Giantego

The crash of '29 was caused by similar factors which led to the crash of '07, too much debt and fiat money being pumped into the economy by the quasi-government Federal Reserve. Left-wing moonbats would have made it worse if it weren't for the WWII boom. We should have learned our lesson then, you can't spend your way out of debt with porkulus projects. But it took a failed trillion dollar porkulus package for the libtards to figure that out. Fact is, the modern establishment Republican party is actually not conservative enough, as government has continued to expand during the Bush years. Both sides have contributed heavily to our debt crisis with runaway spending, and we have a long way to go before things will get any better. Do some research next time before making any more stupid remarks, you dimwit.

@Rick D335

We'll see. All I know is I wouldn't want to deal with sh*tty diapers. LOL

When my sons were babies, I used cloth diapers. There was a service at the time who would go around and pick up the dirty cloth diapers and replace them with fresh. I don't remember the name of it, but we couldn't afford it in any case.

Pampers were just coming out at that time, but I couldn't use them as my older son waa allergic to whatever the chemical was in the material. So we used cloth..

My son was allergic too, so I used cloth. It was no big deal once you get into the routine. A big money saver, and what would people do without disposables? They would learn how to cope.

An acid doesn't automatically mean bad or harmful. Ascorbic acid is Vitamin C and we drink/eat it just fine. It just defines where something falls on the PH scale.

Something tells me it's not Vitamin C

Ok!!! I had to laugh at this comment. Lot of people here at very valid points. I can see the corperations raiseing fule prices over this. Hell it might even change the price for food. "Parents had the change the diets of infants over the diaper shortage, which drove up prices!!

Negros and Mexicans as well.

One inane comment deserves another.

Mormons have lots of children. Get it?