'I was fuming': Mum's campaign after popular nappy 'burns her baby'
A mother of three was distraught after a popular branded nappy left her four-day-old baby “burned”.
Jacinta Fokes had previously used Huggies nappies on her two other children – aged five and 12 – so did not expect to face any issues when putting them on her newborn.
But Ms Fokes told Yahoo7 News after just half an hour, her precious new baby Savannah was screaming in pain.
The Queensland mother discovered her baby had nappy rash and claims her skin was peeling on the crevices of her legs where the nappy was rubbing.
“I was fuming. This should not happen to a newborn, especially with such a big brand,” Ms Fokes said.
She has since put her daughter in a different branded nappy and says she is no longer having issues.
“I can feel the difference in the nappies, Huggies feel a bit more plasticy,” she said.
“My one-year-old nephew has a scar from his burn and my two-year-old nephew also reacted the same way.”
Ms Fokes said she wanted an apology and a refund from Huggies, but they had not yet replied to her after she contacted them earlier this month.
“I just want it resolved so there are no more babies who are going to be harmed,” she said.
Ms Fokes says she is not the only parent concerned, and a whole Facebook group has been set up to pull the Huggies nappies from shelves.
Almost 3000 people are members of the group, Aussie Parents Demand a Recall of New Huggies Nappies.
Last month, a woman shared a photo on Facebook of blisters on her day-old nephew after he was put in a Huggies nappy.
“You can see the chemical burn in photos below of what this nappy has done,” she said.
“This baby is only one-day-old and should not be having burns like this with just a wet nappy.”
Another woman claimed her daughter was in pain after she was put in the new Huggies nappies while at daycare.
She said she noticed her daughter had blisters as a result of wearing the nappy.
Huggies nappies ‘don’t cause skin irritation’
Huggies wrote in a statement last month that its Huggies Ultra Dry nappies were safe for use.
“Every raw material used in Huggies Ultra Dry nappies has been assessed to confirm that it doesn’t cause skin irritation and is not made with chemicals or other properties that are harmful to skin health,” the statement said.
“We are aware that many bubs experience nappy rash, one of the most common dermatological conditions seen in infants.
“Common causes include skin wetness or over hydration, increased skin PH levels, exposure to irritants in faeces and urine and infection.”
The statement said the Huggies nappies were designed to minimise the severity of nappy rash by using Super Absorbent Material.
Huggies said the material kept a baby’s skin dry and a breathable cover allowed air to circulate.
“The term ‘nappy rash’ is sometimes used interchangeably with other terms such as ‘chemical burns’,” the statement said.
“Huggies Ultra Dry nappies are not made with known allergens (such as natural rubber latex) or other materials (such as acidic, alkaline, or detergent chemicals) that could cause a burn, nor will they react with stool or urine.”
AN ACCC spokesperson said the body is aware of complains involving the new Huggies Minnie/ Mickey Mouse range of nappies in Australia.
“The ACCC continues to work with the Queensland Office of Fair Trading who is leading the product safety investigation into these products on behalf of Australian consumer protection agencies,” the spokesperson said.
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