History of Diapers

Diapers are absorbent garments worn by people who either do not yet know how to use the restroom effectively, or by those who no longer can. Some examples are infants who are not potty-trained yet, or elderly who cannot physically make it to the bathroom on their own anymore. Diapers have been used all through history in one form or another, and are still used widely today, especially on young children.

The very earliest diapers can be traced back to as early as the 1560s in England. These diapers were made of cloth, and acquired their name from the type of pattern that was used to sew them together. The name stuck in Canada and the United States, though the word “Nappy” is more often used in Britain.

Diapering itself, however, is as old a practice as humankind itself. As long as humans have lived on the earth, they have used diapers on children who were not old enough to potty-train yet. Cloth diapers, such as the ones made popular in England and North America, were not mass produced until the late 1880s.

When the 20th century rolled around, disposable diapers became very popular. These were basically diapers that you could throw away after each use, and a lot of people liked them because it is easier to throw them away than to have to wash them, as cloth diapers require.

The United States was not introduced to disposable diapers until about 1949. By the time 1961 came around, several different companies were making disposable diapers, including the now popular Pampers brand. Since then, diapers have gotten more reliable, easier to use, and less expensive. They are definitely more popular than cloth training pants in most cultures, especially in the United States.

More diaper information is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diapers.