Scientists say disposable diapers may be linked to both male infertility and testicular cancer.
They believe wearing disposable diapers heats up baby boys’ testicles to such a degree, it stops them from developing normally.
That’s because the plastic lining increases the temperature of the scrotum by a degree or more, which can reduce sperm counts.
The scientists, at the University of Kiel in Germany, say their tests may explain the rise in male infertility and drop in sperm counts over the past 25 years.
“Plastic-diaper use may have a negative long-term effect on testicular maturation – and, in addition, may facilitate the development of testicular cancer,” researchers said in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal.
“There is no question a disposable nappy creates a warm, damp environment for a child to sit on, while something like a cotton towel leaks out wetness.”
The scrotal temperatures of 48 baby boys were tested, with each child wearing either disposables or cotton diapers.
Testicles must be cooler than the rest of the body, which is why they are external. Boys whose testicles descend too late in adolescence often become infertile.