Diapers one of babies fundamental needs

Diaper Need is defined as the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep a baby clean, dry and healthy. Diaper Need, a consequence of poverty, is not well known or understood. However, the National Diaper Bank Network, the foremost national authority on Diaper Need, is continuously seeking to paint a clearer picture, including the difficult barriers and tradeoffs families in need face daily.

Unless someone has a child or grandchildren, they may not know diapers are expensive: Diapers cost 80-100 dollars a month per child. And, babies use a lot of diapers, about 50 per week.

Food stamps reach millions of people who need food assistance, promoting long term health and well-being, but many people are not aware that Food Stamps, because it is considered a nutrition program, does not cover diapers. WIC, another government program for women, infants and children is also a nutrition program and does not cover diapers.

A study, “In Short Supply,” released in 2013 by Feeding America reveals how many families struggle to afford basic, non-food goods: products related to personal, household and baby care.

To cope with this lack of goods, families use a variety of strategies: using less, substituting, borrowing and doing without. When needing to prioritize some expenses over others, families may start by cutting back on food and medicine. Mothers have reported they choose to buy diapers rather than eat. When diapers are in short supply, babies are left in diapers for long periods of time. These situations are physically uncomfortable as well as dangerous for a child. Diaper rash means more doctor visits and possible hospitalizations. Excessive crying increases parental stress and the likelihood of child abuse.

We know from the Joint Commission’s three-year study on the Mental Health of Children (1971) that a child’s basis for emotional sturdiness is formed during early infancy and that the love and affection he receives from his mother/or caregiver, and critically, from birth thru age three, determines the path of emotional development that will carry him through his life.

The Commission, who we know by the often-repeated words: “Children are our most precious resource,” called for our nation to commit to the health of our children by “considering both human development and the environment in which children live learn and shape themselves.” They conclude an honest effort to help children grow up into strong healthy adults can only benefit our nation. They also warned that a lack of commitment to do so can lead to disaster.