Experts Warn That Using Some Baby Wipes Could Have Harmful Effects

I have to say, as a parent, baby wipes have become a huge part of my life. There seems to be an opened pack of wipes in just about every room. I'm not even sure how life would be if suddenly, poof, they were gone. 

I'm sorry to say that experts are warning people that many types of baby wipes out there (and even wet wipes that adults use) can cause an allergic reaction in those who are sensitive to one specific preservative found in the wipes. 

SHARE this important article with your Facebook friends who are parents. This is a big deal.  Warning: the images in the following article show a severe rash that was shown to be specifically related to this substance in a particular kind of baby wipe. The image may be disturbing to some readers. 

By now, you've learned to rely on this simple pack of wipes to clean up any type of mess your baby makes. How is it possible that they can cause an extensive skin rash in some children?

The culprit seems to be one preservative that is commonly added to these wipes called methylisothiazolinone. The abbreviation often used on the packaging is MI. 

Research has conclusively shown that MI can result in severe contact dermatitis in some children — in other words, a painful and itchy skin rash. 

The severe rash shown in this picture was taken directly from a study that compared the effects of wipes that included MI and ones that did not. This is an eight-year-old child's rash while using wipes with MI. 

After switching to a type without MI, the rash went away completely. A follow-up patch allergy test for MI verified that indeed caused the reaction. 

The authors of the study published in the journal Pediatrics suggested that if wipe use is associated with a skin rash around the anus, on the buttocks, face, and/or the hands, allergy testing should be sought out.

In fact, there have been several reports of severe reactions to baby wipes, including this child from Birmingham. 

It is unclear whether this specific rash was caused by MI, but it is quite alarming that babies are having this kind of reaction to baby wipes.

Unfortunately, this reaction has also shown up in adults using wet wipes containing the preservative...

One woman from Australia, Danae Belfield, developed this severe rash after using wet wipes containing MI. 

It's hard to know for sure how many people have an allergy to MI. The South Australian Government has suggested that roughly 15% of people tested in 2015 had an allergic reaction. This is different from the percentage they found in 2005, though (4%).

Several companies that make baby wipes have noticed the concern related to MI and have started removing the preservative. 

Huggies as well as at least one other company, Jackson Reece, have made concerted efforts to completely remove MI from their products. 

If you want to be sure that the wipes you're using don't have MI, definitely check that ingredient label. 

COMMENT letting us know if you or your child have ever experienced a skin rash from baby wipes or wet wipes.