Cloth diapers are composed of layers of fabric such as cotton, hemp, bamboo, microfiber, or even plastic fibers such as PLA or PU, and can be washed and reused multiple times.

Adult users can include those of advanced age, patients bed-bound in a hospital, individuals with certain types of physical or mental disability, and people working in extreme conditions, such as astronauts.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, it is a piece of soft cloth or other thick material that is folded around a baby's bottom and between its legs to absorb and hold its body waste.

[4] 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.

These should rarely be soiled once regular habits have been inculcated, especially during the night period in which it is most important to prevent habit formation 1A -(squares of butter muslin or Harrington's packed rolls of "mutton cloth" in packets, sold for polishing motor-cars, would do equally well and are very cheap and soft)Wool pants, or, once available, rubber pants, were sometimes used over the cloth diaper to prevent leakage.

In 1946, Marion Donovan used a shower curtain from her bathroom to create the "Boater", a diaper cover made from army surplus nylon parachute cloth.

[7] In 1947, Scottish housewife Valerie Hunter Gordon started developing and making Paddi, a 2-part system consisting of a disposable pad (made of cellulose wadding covered with cotton wool) worn inside an adjustable plastic garment with press-studs/snaps.

Her husband had unsuccessfully approached several companies for help until he had a chance meeting with Sir Robert Robinson at a business dinner.

[8][9] In Sweden, Hugo Drangel's daughter Lil Karhola Wettergren, in 1956 elaborated her father's original idea, by adding a garment (again making a 2-part system like Paddi).

Victor Mills, along with his project group including William Dehaas (both men who worked for the company) invented what would be trademarked "Pampers".

[16][17] The first waterproof diaper cover was invented in 1946 by Marion Donovan, a professional-turned-housewife who wanted to ensure her children's clothing and bedding remained dry while they slept.

Another disposable diaper design was created by Valerie Hunter Gordon and patented in 1948[19][20] Ever since their introduction product innovations include the use of superabsorbent polymers, resealable tapes, and elasticised waist bands.

Modern disposable baby diapers and incontinence products have a layered construction,[21] which allows the transfer and distribution of urine to an absorbent core structure where it is locked in.

Elasticized fabric single and double gussets around the leg and waist areas aid in fitting and in containing urine or stool which has not been absorbed.

[22] A disposable diaper may also include an inner fabric designed to hold moisture against the skin for a brief period before absorption to alert a toilet training or bedwetting user that they have urinated.

Baby diaper sizes in general are based on the child's weight (kg or lbs) and not determined by age like in clothing or shoes.

Polyester fleece and faux suedecloth are often used inside cloth diapers as a "stay-dry" wicking liner because of the non-absorbent properties of those synthetic fibers.

[30] Children who wear diapers may experience skin irritation, commonly referred to as diaper rash, due to continual contact with fecal matter, as feces contains urease which catalyzes the conversion of the urea in urine to ammonia which can irritate the skin and can cause painful redness.

[31] The age at which children should cease regularly wearing diapers and toilet training should begin is a subject of debate.

Keeping children in diapers beyond infancy can be controversial, with family psychologist John Rosemond claiming it is a "slap to the intelligence of a human being that one would allow baby to continue soiling and wetting himself past age two.

"[32] Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, however, believes that toilet training is the child's choice and has encouraged this view in various commercials for Pampers Size 6, a diaper for older children.

[32] Brazelton warns that enforced toilet training can cause serious long-term problems, and that it is the child's decision when to stop wearing diapers, not the parents'.

[34] However, it is becoming increasingly common for children five to eleven years old to still wear diapers during the day, due to the child's opposition to toilet training, neglect, or unconventional parenting techniques.

[43] Some companies have diaper products specifically designed for bedwetting, traditionally hosting higher leak guards, and being pull on style similar to training pants.

In the medical community, they are usually referred to as "adult absorbent briefs" rather than diapers, which are associated with children and may have a negative connotation.

It is important that the user selects the proper type, size, and absorbency level for their needs as every diaper design is different.

[47] The Maximum Absorbency Garment is an adult-sized diaper with extra absorption material that NASA astronauts wear during liftoff, landing, and extra-vehicular activity (EVA).

The campaigners protested by lining the streets wearing diapers themselves, which spelled out the message "Stop pooh bags".

[53] A similar scheme in Blackpool ordered that horses be fitted with rubber and plastic diapers to stop them littering the promenade with dung.

The "baseline scenario" showed that the difference in green-house emissions was insignificant (in fact, disposables even scored slightly better).