Your Baby's Diaper Has Phthalates in It

Your baby's diaper contains DEHP, a phthalate plasticizer. A 2025 study in Toxics measured the diapers of 66 infants and found DEHP at a median concentration of 1,670 ng/g, with some diapers hitting 5,200 ng/g. That's the chemical sitting against your baby's skin for hours at a time.

What Researchers Found

The study, published in Toxics (Lai et al., 2025), recruited 66 infants in Guangzhou, China. Researchers collected paired diaper and urine samples from each baby. They measured six different phthalates in the diapers and nine metabolites in the urine.

The results were clear: phthalate metabolites showed up in infant urine, and those levels were linked to markers of DNA oxidative damage. DEHP was the most common phthalate found, but other types showed up too. Phthalates don't just sit there. They absorb through skin, especially the thin, sensitive skin of a newborn.

Why This Matters for Your Baby

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors. They interfere with hormones. In infants, whose systems are still developing, that interference is a bigger deal than it would be in adults.

Most disposable diapers are made with plastics and synthetic materials. Those materials need plasticizers to stay flexible. DEHP and its cousins are those plasticizers. The baby doesn't know that. The diaper doesn't come with a warning label.

The swap: cloth diapers made from organic cotton or wool covers skip the plastic entirely. Browse non-toxic baby products for dye-free, chemical-free diaper alternatives.

Also see glass food storage for safer alternatives.

Source: Lai X et al. (2025). Infants' Dermal Exposure to Phthalates from Disposable Baby Diapers. Toxics.