Muslin Nappies (Langots) — Why Indian Families Use Them for Newborns
For the newborn weeks, the muslin nappy — the soft cotton langot — is what most Indian families reach for, and there is a practical reason it has lasted generations.
A muslin nappy has no fixed waist size, so it fits a tiny 2.8 kg baby as easily as a bigger one, and it sits comfortably below the healing cord stump.
Its loose cotton weave lets air move through, which matters in Indian heat and the monsoon, where most newborn nappy rash is a heat-and-moisture problem rather than a wetness one.
A muslin nappy also dries quickly even in humid weather and gets softer with every wash, so it stays gentle on delicate skin.
The honest trade-off is that a muslin nappy holds less than a bulky modern diaper, so you change more often — which keeps the skin drier and fresher anyway.