By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
May 10, 2010
Proctor and Gamble, maker of Pampers disposable diapers, let it be known last week that it had had just about enough of parents blaming it for their babies' diaper rash.
Jodi Allen, P&G's Vice President for Pampers, issued a statement saying parents have been using social media to spread "completely false rumors" that the newly introduced Pampers Dry Max diapers are causing unusually severe rashes, even chemical burns.
"These rumors are being perpetuated by a small number of parents, some of whom are unhappy that we replaced our older Cruisers and Swaddlers products while others support competitive products and the use of cloth diapers. Some have specifically sought to promote the myth that our product causes 'chemical burns.'"
What do parents who have reported these incidents think about the P&G response? Candice, of Smithton, Ill., called it "irresponsible."
"How dare they make a comment that parents are making "false accusations" about the health of their children," she asked ConsumerAffairs.com. "I would never make a claim against a person or organization/company that degraded their credibility without a full investigation of the facts."
Proctor and Gamble says it has investigated, and turned over its evidence to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and selected news media outlets. Reuters reports that it received a copy of a statement from a pediatric dermatologist, obtained by the company, that suggests there's nothing in the diaper to cause a rash.
"I have seen absolutely no increase in rashes since the introduction of the newer model," Dr. Loraine Stern, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine, wrote in a statement provided to Reuters by Pampers. "The pictures on the Internet show what looks like classical rashes, not chemical burns. I have full confidence in recommending that my patients continue to use Pampers with Dry Max."
A pediatrician interviewed by KIRO-TV in Seattle said he has seen nothing in the new Pampers Dry Max that would cause a severe rash. But he says that doesn't mean a small group of children with hyper-sensitive skin couldn't have severe reactions.
"And I'm not sure in their studies if Proctor and Gamble actually studied that sub-group of kids which is called atopic dermatitis because these kids cannot tolerate exposure to very common materials such as water for a very long period of time and they do get blistering rashes," Dr. Patrick Colletti told the TV station.
No surprise
What P&G fails to add in its hard-nosed statements is that it has been monitoring the diaper rash issue since late last year.
In an interview with Advertising Age, Ms. Allen said she has been having daily conference calls about the problem for months. Four P&G employees are stationed in a "listening post" monitoring press and social media reports and Ms. Allen said she reads transcripts from the company's call center daily.
The company claims that it conducts "extensive follow-up calls" when it gets complaints and invites parents to visit a pediatrician at the company's expense, but claims no one has yet done so.
Mystified
Complaining parents say they're mystified at P&G's response. Stacy, of Greenfield, Ohio, told ConsumerAffairs.com that she's a loyal Pampers customer.
"I had always been a Pampers user for both my children so when the new Dry Max came out I couldn't wait to try them," she said. "I bought a box and the next morning my son woke up not only with a horrible burn marks on his bottom but he had a severe allergic reaction all over his entire body!"
Stacy says her pediatrician specifically asked her if she had recently changed diapers, saying he had heard other reports connected to Pampers.
