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Letter: Fading diaper disgust or just plain, simple relief?

Published 12 February 2025

From Lerida Arnold, Swanage, Dorset, UK

A reduction in parental disgust as an infant develops isn’t surprising, since breastfed babies tend to produce huge, explosive poos, which are like runny, yellow cottage cheese and can easily escape the nappy to coat the child, as well as their parent and surroundings. This often happens at inconvenient times, such as while at airport boarding gates (18 January, p 15).

Once weaned, babies make poos that usually emerge in more solid lumps that can be wrapped in loo paper and flushed away. Quick, easy and less urgent. I think the findings of the study you covered have less to do with disgust habituation and more to do with sheer relief!

Issue no. 3530 published 15 February 2025

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