Frequently touted as one of the greatest Mother’s Day gifts, this article is to celebrate disposable diapers. Pampers is one of the most popular brands on the market today. Out of the beginnings of time when the first baby cried and needed to be changed, it is somewhat surprising and unfortunate for many that the disposable diaper emerged only less than seventy years ago.
Invention of Pampers
Through the changes in primitive care to cloth diapers, to Marion Donavan’s Boater diaper in 1946, there have been several milestones on the way to this now household standard. All these steps contribute to when Pampers were invented. Around Donavan’s time, two piece ideas were entering the diapering market. Some began using a disposable mesh like sponge in the center that was disposable, with the outside part of the diaper being reusable. Marion Donavan took her plastic shower curtain and cut and folded it just right to fit over a cloth diaper, or the disposable tissue materials for diapers just coming out on the market. She got four patents for her design, which was unlike anything else on the market. For one, she used plastic snaps as a safer alternative than safety pins.
As Donavan’s inner layer took under the developer’s critique, ten years later Proctor and Gamble came out with a more disposable diaper, consisting of just one piece, and more advanced absorbent layers.
When disposables first emerged, many households used them in addition to their traditional cloth diapers, supplementing for occasions out of the home like errands, seeing to the doctor, or visiting friends or relatives when carrying around dirty cloth diapers would be especially inconvenient.
Proctor & Gambles success was later called Pampers, the brand common in nurseries and diaper coupons today. Another company launched Huggies, a comparable disposable diaper product, within a few years of that; the two started the market share battle that they still face.
The efforts to secure the loyalty of consumers, the two brands developed characteristics highly advanced for a one use diaper: elastic bands around the legs, adhesive strips—better than snaps, more appropriate shapes to prevent leaks, and differing protection for boys versus girls. There are even lines available made with special ingredients to protect the skin and improve scent, as well as moisture indicators like changing colors on the front waistband for quick detection. Pampers were first invented in 1956, but the market leader we know today has been a long developing process.
