After watching my recorded “The Mentalist” from last Thursday I saw the news clip for yet another disposable diaper horror story. This time San Antonio moms were speaking out about Pampers new Dry Max diapers.
But, don’t worry about a little blood, your baby will have the thinnest diaper evah!
Here are a few quotes from the video below:
“Moisture absorbing gel making them thinner than ever” Um, I’ll take a fluffy butt over bleeding blisters!
“No chemicals in this product that could cause chemical burns” (Bryan McCleary, Pampers spokesperson) Wow, that one made my draw drop.
But, wait, before you think Mr. McCleary is just a talking head, he does have a heart…
“His heart aches for these moms but their claims can’t possibly be true” Oh, Bryan, you are so blinded by the big company. Apparently your “most tested diaper in pampers history” just isn’t going to cut it.
And my personal note to the medical expert Pampers pulled out of their wallet:
Dear Dr. Loiselle, I really am so sad that you have chosen to stand behind this company and make a statement like “with the data I’ve seen I don’t think it’s a possibility that the newer Pampers with Dry Max are causing the chemical burns. It doesn’t make any scientific sense whatsoever.” Golly. I’m not sure it gets any better “scientifically” than real results.
Perhaps, I sound jaded. Perhaps. But, really I am hurting for those moms who are trying to comfort their babies. You can’t blame the mom. Most likely she’s never even heard of cloth diapers (besides the “old school” ones). All the more reason we need to educate moms around us.
I’m not the best at this, which may sound surprising. Next time the door opens for me to tell someone about cloth diapers I’m going to take that step. Please join me in this effort.
Autumn is a wife, mother, homeschool teacher, friend and most important a follower of Christ.
Jcxj says
Proctor and Gamble are known for animal testing. They give animals chemical burns all the time and still sell toxic products afterwards, as do many companies. (Not sure what the point of animal testing is, companies still sell the products afterwards, knowing it’s toxic, and usually just keep testing.)
Seattle Diaper says
With all the problems associated with disposable diapers, I can’t help but wonder why disposable diapers were ever invented. I’d choose the inconvenience of washing cloth diapers over the disposability of disposable diapers. I’m 39 yrs old and I wear cloth diapers to bed. I find them more comfortable than disposable diapers.
Amanda says
Oh my gosh! My baby brother uses Pampers and I sent this video to my mother. I am due in one week and just received and washed all of my cloth diapers that I got because I didn’t want to waist money and harm the environment plus my husband says he can’t stand the smell of disposables (now I know why)
Nikki says
I’m a mom-to-be and was planning on cloth diapering even before I saw this article:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/05/28/f-disposable-diapers.html
So the potential problems aren’t limited to pampers diapers. Thanks for the blog, I know it will be a great source of information.
Cme says
OMG…… that is horrible…..i use pampers and now I’m terrified..what are cloth diapers? i have never heard about it…please reply soon
Julie Kieras says
Cloth diapers are great – they are made with materials like cotton, hemp, bamboo, wool – all natural fibers. You can use a diaper service or wash them yourself, but in addition to the health benefits (no chemicals), they are also more cost effective and reduce waste. If you’re reading this blog you’ve come to the right spot b/c you can learn SO much about Cloth Diapers here – I encourage you to look into it somemore! :)
Amber H. says
I’ve decided that I want to switch my 2 year old over to cloth, and use them for our next child. I’ve been following the Pampers thing, and I’m curious if anyone has actually thought to do a bit of an experiment on themselves by taking one of the new Pampers diapers, getting it wet with water and attaching it to the arm or something and seeing what happens. Quite honestly,the skin on your bottom is the same type of skin in terms of the specific types of skin cells that’s on your arm so in theory the same thing would happen to your arm that’s happening to the babies. If someone did thus and published the results online I wonder what Pampers would have to say about that. And we use generic wallyworld diapers but they must be doing something with the diapers because they are starting to smell different, all chemical like.
Lindsay says
How are people thinking this “can’t be possible”? It’s like using microfiber next to the skin….it’s sucking all the moisture out of the babies skin and causing burns.
Allison says
I just experienced this “rash” too with my 5 month old. this is my 3rd girl and our first child to have cloth. :( I am loving cloth and wish I would have considered it for the first two girls!
I purchased a box of Costco diapers for those occasions when a sitter or my husband were not willing to use the cloth. Baby girl is getting big so quick I thought I maybe should use up the disposables. First night was fine, second night she poo’d early in the am and ended up with “rash”: very red and irritated skin. then subequent peeling in the following days. doc said contact dermatitis! sounds to me like baby girl had a reaction to the sposies!
Is anyone having trouble with costco brand?
Baby girl is still not fully recovered, it even looks like she may have permanent scaring!
I will NOT use a disposable ever again! I am completely freaked out!
Autumn Beck says
So sorry!
rbenson says
This is a fantastic article. Not only is there a chance that disposable diapers are causing chemical burns on babies. The fact that there is chemicals in direct contact with a babies skin is alarming. A babies skin is not yet fully developed, because of this they absorb much more through there skin than adults. Any chemical that comes into direct contact with a babies skin can cause problems that we may not be aware of for years to come.
Jennifer Drury says
I can’t believe the audacity of Pampers. This is what they have posted on their website: http://www.pampers.com/en_US/diapers-myths-and-facts
Autumn Beck says
That is disgusting.
Stephanie T says
They are completely twisting information to prove their “facts”
the one about cloth diapers giving babies more rashes? Outrageous! Their diapers have cause my son more rashes and sores than any other brand, and we NEVER have had rash yet with cloth.
And the sleeping through the night part…obviously they aren’t using very absorbent cloth diaps or decent covers on their babies over in China. A nice wool cover , a prefold and a doubler are quite enough for my son who is a world class wetter LOL
Obviously Pampers is only looking at SOME information instead of all of it, the are using the information that makes them look good and ignore the other 90% of the information.
Jennifer Drury says
I did think it was interesting that they mentioned everything BUT cost. There’s no way they could ever say that sposies were actually less expensive (although with all of the other ridiculous things they said, I can’t say it would have surprised me that much if they had tried.)
Katy Sullivan says
Wow! Who writes this stuff anyway? How do they get a way with it? The sad thing is that people will actually believe it!
Naomi says
I am in the process of switching over to cloth diapers. My first child is 2, my second is 1. I have been wanting to go cloth for a long time (before my first was born!) but couldnt convince my husband until last week! My daughter wore pampers from birth until about 1 year. We switched brands at that point and she stopped getting rashes. I just figured she outgrew it until I was made aware that pampers was having an issue with their diapers. I’m so glad I have converted my husband and I will never put my child in a pamper or disposable diaper ever again! I feel so guilty/angry that I didnt do this sooner and my daughter suffered for so long! I am telling everyone about cloth diapering and hopefully other moms will open their eyes to the benefits of CD.
Amanda Duran says
This is not directly related to the Pampers fiasco but I just wanted to speak on behalf of ignorant people. And please understand that when I say ignorant I am meaning un-informed.
My son is starting to PL and likes to rest his little peepee on the side of the toilet bowl to pee. So, after fighting a fever for two days, he developed a red pus-like spot on the underside of his penis and told me it hurt him.
I took him to the med clinic in Uvalde (I’m in Del Rio) and the PA he saw took one look at his FuzziBunz and asked if it was underwear. I told him, No, it was a cloth diaper. He proceeded to tell me that he thought the cloth rubbing up against his skin was what caused his STAPH infection. Ok, now I am a former nurse and I know that after a year of wearing cloth (I was converted at 17mos) and this being the only instance, that the PA was soooo sorely mistaken!!! So, I told him as much and told him I didn’t believe that. He had no comeback. It just irritates me soooo bad that people hear cloth and doesn’t even consider that things have changed in the 30 years since I was in diapers.
Anyhow, I really just needed to rant but I will say that my son has not had near the problem with cloth that he had when he was in sposies. And honestly, the only times he gets red is when we leave him for too long when I think Daddy has changed him and he thinks I have…poor guy!
What we need to do Momma’s is gently educate Moms on what is out there for them and that it doesn’t have to be gross, or messy or extra “work” or inconvenient. I adore cloth so much that I became an affiliate to a CD store just so I could spread the message out here! Be an advocate Momma’s and maybe we can get the movement to grow faster than it is now!
And now I will step off of my soapbox…LOL!
Donna says
Sad to say my own son got the same type of lesions from the newly formulated diapers, we were “lucky enough” to be in a test market and did notice the skin changes immediately after getting the new “thinner” diapers. He is always promptly changed and had never had diaper rash as an infant, to think he would get it as a toddler was really strange to me. Needless to say, we ruled out diaper rash and fungal infection and had him treated for months with the wisdom of a physician. The only thing that started to heal his wounds was switching to dye-free and unbleached/non-chlorinated diapers. I am now on this web-site researching cloth diapers as we are going to switch!
The only productive thing to do to protect helpless infants would be for Pampers to at least look into the matter. It is sad that they are categorically denying any problem. Perhaps a boycott of P&G stock and merchandise would show them they should take consumers seriously?!?
sarah says
I have heard things about the changes in pampers for a few months now and had been sticking with baby dry’s for my 2 1/2 yo dd. But this new thing made me jump and buy a box of flips for my 7 mth ds. I don’t wanna find out after using them. I’m also sick of the cost after 2 1/2 years with at least another 1-2 left. Plus dd is attached to her diapers and won’t give up her “elmos” or “doras” for potty training. So once these are gone, their gone for her. If she doesn’t wanna use the potty i’ll just adjust a flip for her and look into the organic inserts so she will start to feel wet. I just started cd’ing this weekend, have been surfing sites and seem to want everything. It’s a new addiction.
Stephanie T says
This is exactly what happened to my son. I bought these thinking they’d be the best, driest diapers ever for my son, but within a few days he developed sores/bumps on his bum and an awful raw and sometimes bleeding patch on his poor little weenie. Ever since this I have decided to give cloth diapering a try, despite dearest daddy’s moans and groans. I made an “emergency” diaper out of one of those nasty gerber cloths and some panty liners when I ran out of disposables and I actually quite liked it!
sara says
our 7 month old reacted severely after we went from the pampers cruisers to pampers w/dry max. up until this point, we were loyal pampers customers. our 2.5 yo (who is now potty trained) was raised on them. they also happen to be the brand that the hospitals give out to newborns. i’m really offended that pampers says that these claims are being perpetuated by people who are trying to promote a competitor’s brand or cloth diapers. i don’t exactly have a lot of options. my son needs to be wearing something, so if it’s not pampers, it will be something else.
i watched the video that P&G posted via the pediatrician on diaper rashes and how common they are. what bothered me is that the kind of “rash” he is describing is not what my son is suffering from. they are completely dismissing the fact that babies bums look like they have been burned. that to me is not a “rash.” we change our son very regularly–sometimes to the point that we waste diapers. i know that his irritation is not because we don’t change him often enough. i never would have thought it was the diaper but after reading too many complaints that were very similar, i have switched to a different brand and i may give cloth diapers a try. i think it’s too weird that so many others are having the same problem from using dry max cruisers.
Kayla says
I’m going to spread the word on my blog also! We can hopefully get this message spread to as many as possible and keep babies from having to go through this!
Renee says
http://wbztv.com/consumer/pampers.dry.max.2.1679103.html
Must be more than just a diaper rash if the government is starting to investegate it.
Honestly the pampers company is making me sick with their denial and putting the blame onto the parents and children (not changing enough, fever, etc). And the pediatricians response just made my gut flip. Makes you wonder if the ped was being paid by pampers
monique says
My son is in diapers at night he got the burn rash!!! My boys have NEVER had a rash like this it look like a burn bleeding he was screaming everytime I had to look at it..People that I showed it to also said they never seen anything like it..We got pampers because they fit bigger babies we had a hard time finding cloth diapers and covers to fit a 40lb+ child…We stop useing the pampers and he has NEVER had the rash come back ….The whole family is now in cloth could not be happier!!!! I tell alot of people about cloth
Trenna says
Wow, glad I read this before cracking that package of “just for backup” Pampers we just got.
I have to wonder whether whatever is in the Pampers, is also in the new Always Infinity? Diapers and pads share technology … not sure how to check on that. It could be that the chemical problem is activated with urine, but what new Mom doesn’t have a little leaking?
Anonymous says
How about this general advice: AVOID THE THINGS THAT GIVE YOU PROBLEMS.
If disposable diapers give your baby a rash, use cloth diapers or find a brand that doesn’t harm your baby.
If you discover a sensitivity or allergy to something, stop using it. (You don’t see me running around, petting a bunch of cats…)
Melissa says
This saddens me deeply. My now 11 week old baby girl suffered from a rash just like this one from about 3 days old up until about 5 days ago…basically for 10 weeks. I tried everything I could think of creams, prescriptions, airing out, bathing during each diaper change….countless trips to the doctor. Only after switching to cloth diapers and using a oil from http://www.amoils.com called Heal Diaper rash did it finally clear up and heal. I 100% believe that it was the Pampers. I used Pampers in the hospital after she was born and for about 1 week to help with the constant changes and to help for that first week after she was home. I really wish I would have just used cloth like I intended and not listened to my family, friends and hospital staff. Cloth is safter on there bottoms and does not cause chemical rashes like disposables!!
Mary says
So a mom friend of mine sent out this same news article to all of her mommy friends. And just out of curiousity, I responded to it. My daughter is 6 months old and wears a combination of cloth and disposable diapers. Cloth primarily on the weekends and disposables during the week while she is at her babysitters (just easier). We got a box of the stage 2-3 drymax swaddlers when they first came out and she’s been wearing them for about 3 weeks now. No problems. What. So. Ever. But, before we invested in cloth diapers, a pediatrician had tried to warn us off of them claiming that cloth doesn’t breath as well (comparing cotton t-shirts to technical shirts made to wick sweat away as you run). But again, she had no problems with cloth diapers. So I’m thinking we’re just lucky because her skin is not super sensitive and we got a pretty resilient child. Back to the email… I replied and told them our experience with the Dry Max and to see what everyone else thought. 5 people have responded that they actually have not had any problems with the diapers. The babies range from 2 months old to 18 months old.
Either we all are very lucky. Or, there are some very UNlucky vocal parents out there. I think like any product, it will work for some and not for others. Especially in the beginning, people don’t know what works for them and so bad experiences speak much louder than good experiences. I just wanted to throw it out there that we’ve had a great experience with the new Swaddlers and have heard from at least 5 other mothers that their kids are doing well as also.
Autumn Beck says
Mary, I am very glad that your baby has not reacted badly. I encourage you to look into the chemicals that are in disposable diapers. Not because I’m some militant cloth diaperer (like I’ve said before I do have some Flip disposable inserts in the house) but because all mothers should know exactly what they are exposing their babies to. If at that point, being fully aware, you still choose to proceed then at least you can say you made an informed decision.
I do want to make a comment about the logic you have used. To say that because you and 5 other women (and likely about 2 million other moms) have not had any problems and to assume that this makes the product safe is illogical. It isn’t about working for some and not for others. If 100 children show a bad reaction that’s a problem. The same goes for all products we buy.
If you are interested in exploring easy cloth diaper options for your babysitter, I’d encourage you to look into Flip. It’s economical, trim and simple.
Esley Henkes says
Never believe a corporation all they see are $! I am new to cloth diapering. I used disposibles for my other 2 kids. Both of them had troubles with the blue elastic liner. With my oldest I was able to use the cheapest disposible ones because they hadn’t evolved yet. By the time my 2nd came they all had it and she would break out. I used a biodegradeable disposible from green mountain diapers that was made of corn. But very pricy-.50-.75 a piece and throw them away. That added up. So I chose cloth for my 3rd. I can’t afford $30+ cloth ones so I have found the prefolds to be my favorite even if they are old school. So shout out about cloth no matter which ones you are using. Even homemade out of old towels and T’s better than blisters. Also with my 3rd, family members gave me some disposible ones and no matter the brand I can’t put more than 1 in a row on her or she is FLAME red! Please remember a baby’s skin doesn’t have the layers or dead skin on top and is thinner so this is why those chemicals can permiate farther causing harm. I LOL how it seems that for as more “advanced” we are getting how many of us are coming full circle ie: wood heat, wind power, and of coarse Cloth diapers!
Heidi says
I sent this video to a bunch of friends and my sister, my sister wrote back a rude email about my cloth diapers….anyways I guess it offended her b/c she doesnt use cloth! I just said I sent it to her so she wouldnt buy that brand/type. So I guess there are people out there who feel just as strongly about disposables as we do about cloth.
Her email
“i am sure if i looked hard enough i could find an article about why cloth is bad, we know you use cloth Heidi and good for you but enough, we get it already”
Kristin says
I asked my sons dermatologist at Johns Hopkins if disposables could cause a rash due to the chemicals and he said absolutely and both him and the PA saw he had cloth diapers on and said “oh thats great your using those”
Melissa Kreutz Gallardo says
hubby just watched vid w/me & says, “those Pampers execs should have to wear those diapers for a few days.” Yeah.
Tasha says
Okay, first of all, I use disposables when traveling. (My step mother-in-law would never let me wash a dirty diaper in her washing machine). I started with Huggies but our little man got severe hives so we switched to either Pampers or Luv without problems. So I don’t think it is just Pampers with issues. Anyway, in the long run I just didn’t feel good about the chemicals in them, so now we use Seventh Generation. They work great but are rarely used. Mostly when traveling.
Second off, I have to admit in 26months of cloth diapering we have had an occcasional rash. It usually seems to coincide with a new food, teething and excessive drooling, an acidic meal that makes for a nasty acidic poo, or a change in detergent. But luckily they have cleared quite quickly with warm soaks in the bath with baking soda, a naked bum to run around in, and a Seventh Generation disposable that allow for lots of cream during the night (sometimes I am thankful to have a disposable available- just make it a safer one).
Novi Ariny says
What a great facts.. Please allow me to share your notes in my facebook account.. Thanks, Autumn..
Grateful for Grace says
How irresponsible of Pampers! Not that I’m surprised, really.
The sad truth, though, is that my son experienced burns and blisters from cloth just as much as he did from disposables. And yeast too. It took awhile to find the right cd for him to not react to his skin. It actually was pretty miserable and I had to persevere through it. Gratefully, Autumn was beside me every step of the way. I started cd to save money. Honestly, it’s the main reason (like 80%) we do it. I like the health benefits of not using the disposables and the earth friendly behavior too, but they are secondary. It can be very difficult to find the right cd diaper for your baby. I tried Good Mama, BumGenius, Motherease Sandies, a bunch of small makers, Bumpkins, Thirsties, and maybe more. When I tried Rumparooz, I had found my perfect cd. Even though he was almost two! I was willing to spend the money for the perfect cd for him. It really was an ordeal, though, I can not deny that.
I wish more people would be willing to try them and I wish everyone had a mentor and encourager for them when they start. Having a friend share some for me to try helped sooooo stinkin’ much.
I think it’s a lot like breastfeeding: you have to be really committed to it and having someone come along side you to encourage you can make it or break it.
I’m so glad All About Cloth Diapers is here to help!
I’m sad Pampers is behaving so badly.
I wish some big news organization would be willing to do a story on cd! Autumn- maybe you should contact the big news shows to suggest it while the Pampers thing is frontline!
Bethany Ojalvo says
Here’s another way to spread the word about cloth diapering:
http://shop.cafepress.com/cloth-diapers
T-shirts, bumper stickers and diaper bags that say it all!
EB says
I LOVE cloth diapers and am a big supporter, but I have to testify that both of my kids have gotten horrible burn rashes & blisters while in only cloth diapers. I used to think it was Charlie’s Soap. I used to think it was Bum Genius. My DD had to use 3 different perscription creams and still has scars today – and none of the creams helped. Then we tried sposies, and that actually helped, but then the rash came while in sposies. After getting a 4th perscription from the Dr., I decided not to get it filled and I turned to my knees and sought the Lord Jesus Christ for healing. Thanks be to God, my daughter’s horrible rash that had persisted for nearly 4 months straight with NO improvement, began signs of clearing up the next morning after I prayed with my husband.
It’s still a mystery to me, but I’m ok knowing that through this trial God gets all the glory and He taught me humility and increased my faith. Since turning to God in prayer for many other physical problems, I continue to see the healing power than only comes from the uncreated One and only, God!
Autumn Beck says
Rashes can occur to a fabric sensitivity as well. Paisley (our 3rd) got horrible blisters from suedecloth.
EB says
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking it was for my children, but then we switched to prefolds full time and the rash didn’t improve. I’m just thankful that because of their healings, we didn’t have to get rid of our Bum Genius after all!
Heather says
My 15-mo old is not overly sensitive to disposables, and we do use them from time to time–BUT I do notice that when she’s in disposables, I need to have diaper cream on her bum as a barrier so she doesn’t get a rash. With cloth, I need NO diaper cream and have never gotten a rash. I used to think that the rashes came from being in a wet or dirty diaper. Now I see that it’s the combination of wet/dirty PLUS disposables. Otherwise, she’d have rashes from cloth also.
I feel sorry for these babies with burns. Pampers is going to be in a lot of trouble. Who cares about a superthin diaper??! I’m glad that this wasn’t around when my daughter was first born. I switched to cloth when she was 3 months old. I did use Swaddlers before the switch.
Tina says
Yikes!!! In my experience with telling people about cloth (and extended rear-facing in the car-seat) people just get this attitude that “everyone uses disposables (or turns their kid around at 1 yr/20lbs) and they are fine, so why should I do anything different?” It’s like it is too much energy or too out of the ordinary to even consider the facts. Oh well…occcasionally, someone has already been thinking about it but just need to meet that one person who actually does it to give them some advice so its’ definitely important to keep spreading the word about cloth.
Marcy says
Mom’s COCONUT OIL is an instant soother! every mom should have some.
UpsetMommy says
They will do anything to make a buck. Another mother made a post on her blog about the product they use.
I urge you to read it.
http://tpo4.blogspot.com/2010/04/very-scary-morning.html
Sarah says
omg…. I thought my babies were just sensitive! I’m still researching cloth for my next baby, so all three of mine were in disposables. I could only use genaric diapers with lots of diaper cream and would change them constantly so they didn’t sit in it. The doctors never seemed to know why they had these rashes. Other mothers would offer a myriad of advice “it’s your formula” “it’s what you’re eating and they get it through the breastmilk” “change your baby more!” “use powder” “use A&D” “try ButtCream” Just one more selling point for me to go cloth!
Valerie says
That is just terrible! When I had my son 12 long years ago I had NO idea that people still used cloth diapers. So I used what I thought was my only option, disposables! It was awful! Despite being changed as soon as I could tell he was wet/dirty his little butt got redder and redder and redder. It would blister and I would have to put special cream on it :-(. He would cry and I would cry. It broke my heart. In the summer I would let him go diaperless for hours in our yard in hopes that it would clear up but as soon as that diaper went back on the redness would come back. I tried different brands but nothing worked. Thankfully he potty trained early!
We’re planning on TTC again soon and despite my husbands strong opposition to it we will use cloth. Thank you for all your wonderful information. It’s making my “research” very easy! Keep up the great work!
Kris says
While I was pregnant with my 4th and first girl, I decided to give cloth a try. I spent months researching (thanks Autumn) then when she was born, she was much smaller than I anticipated so I put her in Pampers. It was only a few days and she developed a horrible rash. There was actually a bloody crack going into her anus and required antibiotics and special cream. Still unable to put her in cloth because of the cream, (liners irrated her too) I switched to organic Huggies and had no problems. As soon as it cleared up she was all cloth. She still has a scar where the crack was. These weren’t even the new Max brand so I can only imagine how horrible these would be for her or any baby. Very sad!
Katy Sullivan says
Wow! Thanks so much for posting this! Love that “Pampers” is saying that there are no chemicals that could cause this. Well how about you explain what exactly “dry-max” is. Is it completely chemical free? If it were chemical free wouldn’t you be calling it organic? This just makes me sick!
Laura says
I have experienced this “rash” with my 19 mo. daughter. I cloth diaper 99% of the time, so I only keep a few disposables around (for when other people will be changing her) and received a sample pack of 3 Cruisers with Dry Max diapers from an online offering. My dd ended up with this same chemical burn and we only used TWO of them. It covered the entire area where the diaper touched her skin (butt, hips, and was especially horrible in the genital area). She is cleared up now (this was about 3 weeks ago), but it was awful, blistery and incredibly painful. The entire top layer of skin in ANY area where the diaper touched her ended up peeling off. In my book, that is NOT a typical diaper rash (she’s my 3rd child, I’m not new at this) and is definitely indicative of an allergic or chemical-type reaction.
It sickens me how little “big business” has to do with the actual people involved. It’s so much about the money, that no one seems to care about who is being hurt in the money-making process.
Thank you for helping to make others aware of the potential problem.
Melodie says
I have 6 children, almost 7. I use to use Pampers, exclusively, on my oldest 3, until they changed something in the materials they used somewhere around the winter of 2003/2004. Suddenly by daughter was having severe diaper rashes. blisters, then bleeding. Nothing would clear it up. Eventually we switched to Huggies. No Problems. I tried the Pampers again – same result. And with my next 3 children, I was given Pampers as a gift, and just tried them, and with only one diaper, they started getting really red bottoms. I contacted Pampers, back when we discovered our daughter was having a severe reaction to the change in materials around 2003/2004…Only to receive a reply stating that Many things can cause diaper rashes, and their diapers are so well tested, there’s no way it was caused by their diapers. That I should consult with my Dr to determine the actual cause of her rash.
This just shows that for many years, they’ve been receiving complaints about what their diapers have been doing to so many babies, and they flat out refuse to take responsibility. Very Very sad, actually.
With our 6th, she started reacting to the Huggies too, so that’s when we decided to seek out the option of cloth. I wish I had done so LONG ago!!
Tonya says
Though I would prefer to use CD 24/7, we use the Pampers Swaddlers “Sensitive” when traveling b/c DH considers them more convenient. I chose Pampers b/c I have sensitive skin and when I was a baby, those were the only diapers that didn’t blister my bottom. However, I do not doubt these moms’ claims…I am amazed at how long people let their babies sit in a ‘sposie because the gels absorb so much wetness. I just wish more people would consider CD. I have yet to find it inconvenient, gross or troublesome like so many people assume.
summer says
I responded already about my son’s issue with Pampers so I will keep this short just to say that we were using the sensitive diapers when he had his issue…
Jennifer Gray says
“My only thought if it isn’t a chemical burn would be that maybe these babies are left in their “dry-feeling” diaper waaaaay too long and it is just horrible diaper rash. ”
Nope. This happened to us months ago using Pampers before there was any media exposure and we didn’t connect it to the diapers at first. We just thought it was a rash (even though it was horrible blistering sores, b/c that’s what the doctors said – diaper rash, unfortunate). I let my daughter run around naked while it healed. We didn’t leave the house for days and she took three soaking baths a day (whenever she pooped). When the rash was gone and the diapers went back on, within 15 minutes the “rash” was back.
I can actually believe that the diapers didn’t cause any problems during Pampers testing. It’s a pretty small number of incidents when compared to the total number of babies in the diapers. However, the children that are having reactions are having *extreme* reactions and once you figure it out, it’s obvious that the diapers are the problem. It’s a horrible thing to go through and it’s worse when you don’t know how to fix it. Pampers needs to admit that this reaction is a possibility. Otherwise they are complicit in the damage being done to children. My daughter developed yeast and bacterial infections from this “rash” and currently has a fused labia as a result of the irritation. We’ve tried to let it resolve on it’s own, but urine pools in there and causes further irritation. Her actual vagina (not just the vulva) is red and sore from the fusion.
And before anyone casts stones that we should have been using cloth all along, we had a stash when she was born. However, she was induced and we were both very sick after her delivery and she refused to nurse. I spent all my time trying to nurse her and pumping (seriously every hour). In addition we had to use the hated Supplemental Nursing System. Our fight to breast-feed simply overrode my ability to cloth diaper while sick. By the time that fight was over, she had outgrown all the cloth diapers we had and I was just like “oh well”. Sorry to rant about that but I feel *really* guilty that this happened to my daughter and that I caused it to happen.
Autumn Beck says
Jennifer, no stones will be thrown from me. Sterling has worn disposable inserts before. I hate that you feel guilty. I will certainly pray for you about this. Your daughter has an amazing mother who bent over backwards to provide her with the best nutritional start in life. Praise the Lord for your perseverance! You are an inspiration.
Butterfly Mama says
No stones here either! I had a heck of a time getting my little one to nurse after my first one had no trouble whatsoever!?!? It was shocking how much trouble I had, and I vowed at that time to never judge anyone who said they tried and couldn’t nurse. I never realized how difficult a process it can be when complications arise…
Back to the topic- I CD’d my first kiddo years ago, and I planned to do the same with this one, but I discovered Nature Babycare diapers soon after she was born. They are the only (as far as I know) biodegradable dsiposable… Now i know it still isn’t as good as CDing, but I have way less guilt than I would have had I been using regular disposables.
AS far as this corporation, it is horrid that they are taking no responsibility, and being willing to actually test the kids who had the reaction in order tolearn more about it! I am outraged, but I have to say, not really shocked, unfortunately! :(
Jannea says
WOW. It is so interesting to me about this because I actually received 3 of these same diapers as a sample in the mail a month or so ago. I didn’t want to use them. They first of all reaked so bad with perfume scent, they felt crinkly, and of course they are disposable. I was tempted to throw them away. Then I decided that if I am going to throw them away anyways I may as well catch a few pees with them before doing so.
I tried one for nighttime. She immediately pooped in it so I put on sample #2. She wore it all night. It absorbed it all and still felt very trim of course. When I changed her she had a red bum. Not the blisters and stuff these gals are talking about but it was pink and irritated. I was not suprised. I used the 3rd sample again the next night to see if it was indeed the diaper doing it. Yes. All red again. She had little specks of red spots and an overall redness. The rash persisted for almost a week before it went away. I feel so bad that I had done this to my poor little baby. I HATED the fact that when I received a disposable in the mail I actually used it. Live and learn. I have not used any disposable since and she has been rash free even after wearing straight up cotton next to her skin for 12 hours! Thanks for this post, Autumn. Now I know it was not just my baby but thousands of others :(
Heidi says
unreal! I cant believe the dr actually said those things, mmm what else could the chemical burns be from?
CLOTH FOREVER!! lol
lyssa says
their answer is to have them call 1800pampers?? really?? let’s send them STRAIGHT to the source? good plan there. *sarcasm* especially since pampers is already denying that there’s a problem.
i love my cloth diapers!!!
Renee says
Oh my gosh!! I haven’t heard a single word about the issues with the pampers dri max until I opened my email tonight. This is so sad because parents buy those diapers thinking that they are doing something good for their child, keeping wetness away from their skin and instead their precious babies are getting chemical burns on their most tender spots. I tell people about cloth as much as possible and maybe between the issues arising with these new pampers and cloth diapering mamas, more families will start using cloth.
Heather says
That’s awful! I’m going to be posting this link on my fb too. Those poor babies! This is the information that keeps me using cloth, even on trips.
Audrey says
WOW! I love what the ped. said….Sure! Whatever lady! Use them on your baby and we’ll see if your saying the same thing!!! I use cloth because of something that happend to hubby’s step sister…her son got a herpes “rash”! They even pulled her whole family in to test them because they thought someone had “given” it to him…. Turns out it was the Pampers diapers!!!
That and its tons cheaper and cuter! But still you think theyd be more understand and helpful instead of saying that it “cant” be the diapers they have no chemicals! Sure….
amelia singh says
Poor little things :(
I spent the weekend spreading the modern cloth word down here in Sydney, hopefully save a few bottoms from unecessary chemicals.
I’m looking forward to hearing the results of the enquiry. How long will it take? Any one know?
Ashley says
“things”? They are children.
Kayla says
Ashley, it’s just an expression and is meant to express pity and/or sympathy for someone, children OR adults. I assure you she meant no harm, disrespect, or belittlement by it.
Candace says
This bothers me to no end! I told my sister about the Pampers issues with those diapers and how harmful disposable diapers are in general and she just seemed like yeah, okay, whatever. How can they not CARE?! In her defense she did try my cloth diapers on her son for a full day. She couldn’t come up with a single complaint but didn’t really seem interested in doing it for the long run.
I do tell EVERYONE about cloth. They pretty much are all annoyed with me and my facts, which they don’t believe, but whatever. All we can do is spread the word and hope more will try them.
Heidi says
Those poor babies! Shame on Pampers for not standing up and agreeing to look into it. The whole “It couldn’t possibly be us” response is sickening.
Fuzzy Bottoms all the way. The RCDA should launch a counter to this. Perfect time to spread the CD word.
Cat Mayhew says
Ok, granted I have special needs kiddo with his own book on life ;) But the reason we initially switched to cloth full time was because my son broke out something awful when we used ‘sposies! Even the gFlushies he reacted too!!! It’s the gels. The gel leaks through and sits on his skin and burns him! So, I have no quams about believing this! The only one we found he can use for about an hour (while I’m washing CDs if I ran out.. doesn’t happen too often!) is the Huggies Pure and Natural. They are the only sposie I will ever buy, but I’m still saving TONS in various ways by using cloth! I’ll NEVER go back!!!
Crystal says
Cat, When did you have the issue with the gRefills? Just curious because I had been using them for about 3 months with no issues and all of a sudden (when we just started using a new case of them), my daughter broke out in a rash. We didn’t correlate the 2 things at first, thinking it was just a diaper rash, which she had never gotten before, but when it didn’t go away for a week we took her to the doctor. She said it was just yeast, so we tried meds for that with no success, and we have been fighting this rash for about a month and a half now. She’s been to the doctor about 4 times by now. We tried switching her to regular disposables for awhile and the rash started to clear up, then we put her in the gRefills again to see if it would flare so we could be sure that was the reason, and it was worse in 1 diaper change. I am now using organic prefold cloth diapers as inserts in her gPants, and it looks better after a week, but is still not healed. Just curious about timing so I can see if it coincides with my troubles.
Anyone else that has any ideas, I would welcome the help! Thanks!
Michelle says
I just returned package of Huggies Natural. they were given to me as a gift. I was using them while washing my cloth dipes (3rd baby in cloth). I was very upset when i found some of the gel particles all over his tush and testies. and not easy to wash off either. How can they claim natural with that gel junk in them. I will only by Tushies as my back up, that have not gel.
LesLee says
This is horrible! My only thought if it isn’t a chemical burn would be that maybe these babies are left in their “dry-feeling” diaper waaaaay too long and it is just horrible diaper rash. Either way, I feel for those poor babies!
Nancy says
LesLee,
My youngest son was one of the children that reacted badly to these new diapers. I cloth diaper almost full time. I only used sposies when we’re washing night time diapers and I haven’t gotten them dry in enough time (my dryer is going out and sometimes takes 2-3 cycles to totally dry–my whole laundry chore is now a huge nightmare). We’ve used Huggies Little Movers in size 5, size 6, and the Huggies Overnights and for a while they were working wonderfully. We only switched to Pampers because it seemed like every 3rd or 4th time we’d use a Huggies it would leak. So, we bought Pampers Cruisers and no leaks. The new Dry Max came out and we didn’t vary our schedule at all. They would go on at 8pm for bedtime and the boys wake up at 6:30am and get changed and ready for their day.
We don’t leave diapers on our children all day–whether it’s cloth or disposables. I change very frequently. We put our son back into cloth for the full day after visiting our Pediatrician and being told what we knew: it wasn’t a yeast infection but it was a definite rash due to something against his skin. The new Pampers were the ONLY change. We put him back into cloth for a full day and voila! No rash. My husband forgot about the Pampers and put that on him for bedtime again that night and as I was tucking the kids in, I saw the mistake and changed him immediately (we’re talking 15 minutes). Within that very short amount of time (no pee in the diaper by the way) my son was already completely rashed out again–and this time a blister had appeared. The reaction was getting worse.
You can’t tell me that it was because we left our child in his diaper waaaaay too long. And quite frankly, I was insulted and hurt by your comment. It came across as assuming that this big company was telling the truth therefore the parents must be negligent/incompetent/ignorant. I assure you we are not. Perhaps the diaper company that never releases it’s full ingredients list is really to blame?
Summer says
My son also had a reaction to the Pampers diapers. He was only 6 days old and we were changing him at least every hour and a half. We thought he was allergic to the gel that leaked out of all of the diapers we tried so after a visit to the doctor (because of an open, bleeding, pussy sore on his scrotum that appeared within 2 hours from the first small red dot) we switched to cloth immediately and he hasn’t worn a disposable since. He hasn’t had any issues with rashes or other spots with the cloth but he still has a scar from the incident. I reported my son’s issue to the Safety Commission and also to Pampers just to help with removing any outwardly damaging product from the market.
CPSC online is http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx or the toll-free number is 1-800-638-2772 for any parents having an issue that feel like it should be reported.