Disgusting: Chinese babies moving away from open crotch diapers

Ananova / AP ^

[Conservomax]

The revealing pants, known in Chinese as "kaidangku", used to be a popular sight on the streets.

But now more parents, buoyed by a more sophisticated lifestyle, are turning to disposable nappies instead.

The Chinese government has also been trying to encourage an effort to spruce up its urban areas and, it says, steer people away from unclean practices. Many cities have outlawed indiscriminate rubbish dumping, public urination and street spitting.

The "kaidangku" are split down the middle - in front and back - and provide what many parents say is maximum convenience with minimum coverage.

Although the origins of the slit pants are unclear, they have been around at least since the establishment of communist China in 1949.

One parent said: "They're so uncivilised. People nowadays have more money, so they use nappies. It's more convenient and healthier for the child and parents."

© Associated Press

[Conservomax]

From the country that brought you sars:

[subterfuge]

Mind boggling. But the Red Chinese support Kyoto don't they?

[aShepard]

OK! I give up!
What's the purpose of wearing slit diapers if they don't hold anything???

[DWPittelli]

I have an antique wooden (19th century, I believe) toy hobby-horse from China. It too has a split in the middle of the seat, so the toddler can poop without getting up (which would of course leave the toy pretty disgusting).

[Taffini]

Are the streets of China flowing with pee-pee and poo-poo?

That will get the tourist dollar in China.

I just can't wait to go. The Great Wall and walk-and-poo kids.

[dandelion]

It's thousands of years old, and far more sanitary in rural areas, where a child would be potty trained as soon as they could squat down and go naturally on the ground, like everyone else. In reality, the Eastern method makes far more sense in a rural setting, and is far easier to implement.

It is a HELL of a lot more sanitary than some western traditional methods.

The History of the Diaper

WHEN BABIES WORE DIAPERS FOR DAYS

"It's hard to believe, but in Elizabethan times, babies were treated to a fresh diaper every four days! Little sons and daughters of royalty were more fortunate - and changed once a day. The diapers themselves were squares of cloth held on with string tied around the baby's stomach. When the pioneers pushed westward in covered wagons, mothers made all their children's diapers, carefully rolling and hand-stitching the edges. Wet diapers were seldom washed, just hung by the fireplace to dry. The first all-cotton diapers were made in America. A 21 by 40-inch rectangle was folded and tucked and pinned. Mothers might buy six to seven dozen diapers to keep up with their baby."

The truth is, most mothers in early America put their baby/toddler boys AND girls in dresses for a reason - because they could just go bare underneath and lift up the skirt to go on the ground or to the outhouse later. Most children were potty trained by one year.

These women would have been horrified to learn that we now let our children carry their own waste, smeared on their skin, covered by sacks of cloth or paper...

[ameribbean expat]

better rethink that poopoo platter next time you eat at a chinese restaurant...`

[seenenuf]

Memories - I saw lots of darling kids (1984) at least 2 years old, in China (7 cities) with their cracks showing. Most were wearing bottoms, that seemed to be hand-knit with slits. Never saw poop on the street. However, many of these kids were brats with screaming tempers - also prized as the one allowed child.

In Hong Kong, I saw an old lady stop and then crap on the street (Bird Alley) and then pick it up with news paper.

[capydick]

....indiscriminate rubbish dumping, public urination and street spitting.

Sounds alot like the Clintonistas behavior.

[dandelion]

He's being a baby. He's a cute baby at that. And I'm amazed that you are ranting about a little baby, and how they've been dressed for CENTURIES.

[dandelion]

I saw that in downtown Dallas last year - and in San Fransisco 1978 - but it was an old hippie, and he didn't pick it up at all. The one in Dallas left it in the fountain. I wonder what the Chinese tourists thought of it...

[katnip]

better rethink that poopoo platter next time you eat at a chinese restaurant...`

LOL, you're right!

[MotleyGirl70]

LOL!

[Prodigal Son]

You know, a fellow soldier from my Army days had a father who caught dysentary while fighting in Vietnam. He apparantly got tired of pulling down his fatigues to squat every few minutes so he just cut the bottom of 'em out so he could squat without the in between of loosening his belt and buttons. My friend had a picture of him carrying the M60 like that and it looked a lot like the picture of this baby.

[Elric@Melnibone]

Texas-OU weekend?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Back in the nineties, I watched a documentary about the condition of Chinese orphanges, that are generally brimming with baby girls... because of their "one child" policy.

They tie the babies to potty seats, and leave them outdoors for hours, bundled up against the weather. I assume their bottoms are not covered, given the purpose of them sitting on the seats. It looked extremely cruel.

May God help the poor children in China.

[b4its2late]

Picture Ted Kennedy in one of those "diapers"....

[dandelion]

No, that probably would have been barfing in the fountain, instead!

LUV your handle, BTW...

[petitfour]

This is pretty funny. We have some Oriental neighbors (not sure where they're from. they don't speak English) who have a 3-year-old daughter. I went outside the other day, and a teenaged neighbor started telling me about how gross the other neighbors are because they took the little girls pants off and let her squat on the front lawn. There were at least 15 children playing in the area. The 13-year-old was appalled and "grossed out" and could not believe those "weird" people did that. I told 'em it was probably a cultural thing.