Chemical Methylisothiazolinone In Baby Wipes Causing Scaly, Itchy Rash On Children’s Faces & Buttocks, Study Finds

child with baby wipe rash on mouth

A study has found that a common chemical included in baby wipes, hand creams and lotions called ‘methylisothiazolinone’, is behind a lot of misdiagnosed rashes in children that often leaves children with itchy, scaly skin.

This is due to an allergic reaction to the moist wipes and has been mistaken for conditions such as eczema, impetigo and psoriasis.

This study was co-authored by Dr Mary Wu Chang who is a professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and was published in the medical journal Pediatrics.

Dr Chang has seen 6 children with this condition in the last 2 years, with her first patient being an 8 year old girl who came in with a rash around her mouth and on her buttocks. Dr Chang gave the child a combination of steroids and antibiotics to try to clear up the issue, but the rash came back over and over again.

So Dr Chang investigated the child’s medical history and soon realised the little girl could be suffering from an allergic reaction.

What made the connection for Dr Chang was remembering an earlier Belgian study carried out after a patient reacted badly to methylisothiazolinone.

An overuse of moist wipes may also lead to a bigger intolerance to the chemical, and in recent years some brands have increased the concentration of the chemical in a variety of cosmetic products, sometimes by as much as 25 times.

For the 8 year old girl, an allergy test and stopping the use of the wipes helped her unexplained rash to disappear. It was after this case that Dr Chang then saw five more similar cases in the next two years.

Natural Products Are Better

So, it would seem wise to go for products free of this rash causing chemical methylisothiazolinone altogether, and be cautious when making your next choice – as a lot of big name brands like Huggies contain this chemical.

Try opting for more natural wipes, and skin care products that are natural and certified organic, and that are also free of this chemical too to help protect your skin and that of our precious babies and kids!

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