For much of history, infant sanitary needs were handled by putting absorbent material (moss, rags) into a sort of sling under the baby; the absorbent material was periodically replaced. The word “diaper” originally referred to the fabric – a type of linen – and not to its use on babies.
Swaddles as nappies
Back in the day, in Roman times, a gent named Soranus (not even kidding) suggested that babies be swaddled in soft cloth. The cloth would soak up the pee and poop and presumably be changed fairly often.
In the early early days, babies were wrapped in animal skins, moss or in the tropics nothing, until along came cloth nappies. These started as large squares of cotton/linen, which were folded over many times and wrapped on to the baby, then held in place with safety pins.
In the 19th century, the modern diaper began to take shape and mothers in many parts of the world used cotton material, held in place with a fastening—eventually the safety pin. Cloth diapers in the United States were first mass-produced in 1887 by Maria Allen.
By the Victorian era, cotton- cloth diapers were commonly woven in such a way to add loft, or thickness, and therefore improve absorbency. They were folded into rectangles and secured with ties, buttons, or safety pins, which were invented around 1850.
Among the Inuit, a deep and warm hood is used as a baby bag. When the mother feels her baby has to urinate, she takes the child out of the hood, often with the help of another woman.... When the mother goes on a long trip, she slips lichen or rabbit skin into her anorak to serve as a diaper....
Just like nowadays babies. They were fed by their mother's milk, and taken care of by elder people and relatives in their community. They were probably exposed to deseases and infections and whenever they got ill there was no remedy, so a lot of times this would have a fatal issue.
For much of history, infant sanitary needs were handled by putting absorbent material (moss, rags) into a sort of sling under the baby; the absorbent material was periodically replaced. The word “diaper” originally referred to the fabric – a type of linen – and not to its use on babies.
Yet throughout human existence, parents have cared for their babies hygienically without diapers. This natural practice is common in Asia, Africa, and parts of South America, and was traditionally practiced among the Inuit and some Native North American peoples.
Infant Potty Training in India - the Sikhs
A mother will either squat and hold her baby in position in her arms or else sit on the floor or ground and use her feet to form a toilet seat for the baby. In traditional Sikh society, babies do not wear diapers.
Another ancient option was pelts. Hunters and gatherers fashioned diapers from the same pelts they used to keep themselves warm.
They made cloth by pounding specific types of bark into flexible fabric and tying it with reeds and flexible strips of cedar. They used animal furs too. They used soft, dried moss for the absorbent material in nappies. Moss absorbs four times it's weight and is good for the skin.
Prehistoric babies were bottle-fed with animal milk more than 3,000 years ago, according to new evidence. Archaeologists found traces of animal fats inside ancient clay vessels, giving a rare insight into the diets of Bronze and Iron Age infants.
Kai dang ku (开裆裤), which translates literally as “split-crotch-pants,” are the traditional Chinese alternative to diapers: coverings that are open through the middle so toddlers can relieve themselves without obstacle whenever they feel the need.
Before disposable baby wipes were made accessible to families, caregivers used cloth diapers and cloths to clean up babies' messes. It is Arthur Julius who is credited for changing this.
In Europe, the act of swaddling served as a form of diaper. Linen was wrapped about a babies limbs and body. This linen would have captured the waste, and keep the baby warm all throughout the year. Each time a baby was unswaddled, dry linen was used.
Potty training in parts of China includes split-crotch pants and diaper-free babies. “One of the tricks they use there is, they have these little pants that are split down the middle,” Spiesel said. These open-crotch or split-crotch pants allow children to urinate or defecate without having to lower the pants.
Use cloth training pants, small underpants, or even regular clothing - all viable backup options that actually might help the process because they feel wet and uncomfortable when soiled. This encourages more signaling. Try the EC sumo-style diaper.
The prevalence of pacifier use was 32.9%. Chinese children reported significantly higher usage of pacifier (95% CI; 47.5, 58.7) as well as those resided in urban area (95% CI;32.5,37.7). One third of pacifier user had stopped breastfeeding at 6 months of age.
The First Cribs
Parents have always laid their babies down in bundles of cloth or even baskets. However, the invention of the first crib-like structure didn't take place until between the 1600s and 1800s. Even then, people used hollowed-out logs for this purpose, and rarely did they cradle a newborn for a full night.
Before the invention of bottles and formula, wet nursing was the safest and most common alternative to the natural mother's breastmilk.
Between the 16th and 18th century some babies were fed via bread soaked in water, sugared water or cow's milk. Others were fed cereal cooked in bone broth.
The oldest recorded mother to date to conceive was 73 years, while the youngest mother was 5 years old. According to statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, in the UK more than 20 babies are born to women over age 50 per year through in-vitro fertilization with the use of donor oocytes (eggs).
James Elgin Gill was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 20, 1987, around 128 days early or 21 weeks gestation. He set a record when he was born for the world's most premature baby. 20 James was born so early that he was expected to die at birth or—if he survived—to have multiple and severe handicaps.
Three million years ago, Australopithecus africanus was one of the first human ancestor species to live across the southern African grasslands and forests. A new study of fossil teeth suggests that like modern humans, they breastfed their babies for up to a year after they were born.