Update:  The CPSC is investigating new Pampers with Dry Max.  Details here.

This is yet another Pampers post.  If you use disposables full time or part time, I urge you to read this.  Pampers are causing serious problems for babies.  Don’t let your baby be next.  If you can, use cloth. If you can’t please choose a brand better for your baby such as Tushies.

Today I saw something very disturbing.  A friend of mine posted a photo (edited to not show her baby’s privates) of a very serious diaper rash.  In fact, it is the worst I have ever seen.  The skin looks like it has been burnt off.  She was hoping to find some advice for treatment and causes until she could get to a doctor.  Obviously her daughter is in pain and very uncomfortable.

A few people suggested it could be a chemical burn.  My friend did a little digging and some dot connecting.  The rash started after she began using the “new and improved” Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max. She found a facebook group dedicated to bringing back the old Dry Max diapers. In that group, consisting of 728 members, she discovered many, many moms complaining of the same burn like rash.  All of the rashes began after using the new  Cruisers with Dry Max.

She has since started using another brand of diapers and is in the process of beginning cloth again after a hiatus.

While I nor she can confirm 100% that the rash is from Pampers Dry Max, the overwhelming number of mothers claiming severe rashes from this diaper is convincing.

Not that causing chemical burns isn’t serious enough, in typical big corporation fashion, it seems they are giving customers with rash complaints the run around.

Here is an excerpt from a customer service rep’s response to a mother complaining of a rash caused by Dry Max:

You know your baby best, but some factors that can contribute to the onset of diaper rash are diet/change in diet, diarrhea, teething, the use of antibiotics, upset stomach, etc. Taking all of these things into consideration, it’s hard to pinpoint the cause of your child’s skin irritation. If your baby’s condition doesn’t improve, you may want to speak with your pediatrician

My friend in particular was told her baby just needs to be moved up to the next size. How could a diaper rash possibly be caused by a smaller size?  Leaking, yes.  Rash, no.

And, in case you would like to see, this is what her baby’s rash looks like. Please be advised this is a graphic image and is hard to look at.  After a doctor appointment she was told it was definitely from the Dry Max diapers which caused “contact dermatitis.”

Listen to a few of the rash concerns:

After 1 day on the new Cruisers, red, hot rash ALL over the bottom. I switched diapers immediately, and am already seeing an improvement with Triple Paste. He’s 15mo and on table food. No allergies, no antibiotics, no diarrhea, not teething.

Our 12 month old son has horrible burn-type rashes and we know it has to be the new Cruisers – the diapers really smell of a strong chemical. The odor becomes stronger when wet. He is on a diet of Enfamil formula and solid foods. We were about to switch him to milk, but are waiting until the rash clears. We have officially switched diapers (testing out Huggies).

These quotes come from a discussion with 25 replies, most of which are instances of severe burn like rashes.  This thread attempted to compare diets and age to rule out other possibilities, and no matter if the baby was breastfed, formula fed, whole milk, or other, the rashes began with Dry Max diapers.

The loyal customers are enraged.  Moms took their complaints to the Pampers Facebook Fanpage, only to have their complaints erased.  Many were also banned from the page.  Others left official reviews of the new Cruisers on Pampers’ website but it denied them saying their reviews had “vulgar language.”  That is because the words “horrible” and “bad” speak the truth: how vulgar.

Another reason parents are enraged is the deception.  Pampers began putting the new Cruisers with Dry Max into the old Cruisers boxes.  Now, parents experiencing rashes are either diving into boxes in the store to compare, or switching brands completely.

But have these parents considered cloth diapers?!?! I think some cloth diaper manufacturers should utilize this Pampers fiasco to convert more moms to cloth diapers.  Hey!  Offer a special discount to members of the Facebook group.

If you came across this blog post because of your troubles with Pampers Dry Max, please consider joining a Twitter chat this Earth Day that is all about how to start cloth diapering.  This would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about modern cloth diapers.  In addition, if you do not currently use cloth diapers, you are eligible to win large prizes of cloth diapers that could very well help you on your way to begin!  To learn more about this party and register visit my recent blog post: Get Real- The Inside Poop on Cloth Diapers.

I think Pampers users would be pleasantly surprised at how absorbent, easy, and comfortable cloth diapers are.  Not to mention, NO HARSH CHEMICALS to cause rashes or burns.

If any disposable diaper user has questions for me personally about how to get started and what diapers might best fit your needs I would be more than willing to answer them.  You can email me at dirtydiaperlaundry at gmail dot com.

I would just like to add that as much as I love cloth diapers, not everyone does.  But if you use disposables please consider another brand.  To further support Pampers when they clearly care nothing for their loyal customers and, more importantly, the health of the babies in their diapers, is foolish.  To read more about the dirty things Pampers has done check out my older Pampers posts.

***Update

In case you are wondering, the baby’s rash in the photo has gotten better for the most part.

Reuters has also just written about the new Pampers and rash issues.

Want another reason to dislike Pampers? Proctor and Gamble, the makers of Pampers disposable diapers, is targeting India in a new effort to raise profits, according to the Business Courier of Cincinnati.  Among other brands they will be introducing to the Indian market, they will be pushing an inexpensive disposable diaper.  If successful these new efforts will result in 40 billion dollars in added profit.

Even more disturbing, a powerpoint on various technologies had a slide specifically on the development of this new diaper.

• CEO challenged innovation team to create a disposable diaper that costs no more than an egg
• Technological innovation drove access to a game-changing price point
• Pampers Magic Knickers making inroads to 130 million cloth-diapered children

Pampers Magic Knickers, costing 12 cents a diaper, is going to make its way to India soon.  While this doesn’t seem like big news, you have to consider that most Indian consumers use cloth diapers.

If you read between the line, Proctor and Gamble is actively seeking to market to traditional cloth diaper users, offering them a “cheap and easy” alternative.

Do you know what I think?  P&G is seeing how the modern cloth diaper is gaining popularity in the US and other countries with convenient laundry access.  Now, they are targeting India with their most inexpensive diaper.  Indian consumers may not be able to afford an 18.00 cloth diaper, but if it came to a choice between traditional cloth diapering and home laundering and a .12 disposable, they may choose the disposable.

If all 130 million cloth diapered babies in India switched to disposables this would equal 780 billion disposable diapers used.*

I came across a blog with an entry titled “The Nappy Confusion” that had the breakdown of cloth diapers versus disposables in India.  (I highly suggest reading the entire post for perspective, as well as the comments) Disposables at the time of the post (2007) cost 1,500 Rs per month.  In US dollars that is 33.50.  I don’t know about you but 33 dollars a month isn’t too far off what Americans spend, yet the cost of living is vastly different in the India.  I imagine for many Indians 33.00 a month is far too much, which is why cloth diapers are the norm.  Many Indians use old clothing or cotton and make their own diapers, which means the diapers are virtually free.

I do not profess to be an expert on diapering needs in India, but I do see the underhanded motives of P&G and the effect that disposable diapers  could potentially have on the health and environment of a country.  I only hope that tradition and frugality will win over “convenience”

*numbers based on Real Diaper Association’s estimate that the average baby will use 6,000 diapers over the course of 2 years.