In looking through new parent forums on the web, one can see parents informing new parents and parents to be they go through approximately 15 baby wipes with diaper changes per day, or 3 packages of baby wipes per month. That’s a lot of baby wipes going on the sensitive skin of babes everywhere. They are used by parents to assure their babies are clean, whether it is with diaper changes, on hands, on faces, or wherever the need may arise. The last thing a parent is going to think is that the wipe being used to rid their babies of bacteria actually is contaminated with bacteria! Not to mention, baby wipes are popular among a whole host of consumers these day as a means of disposable cleaning cloths, so they’re not just for babies any more. That is actually a problem that happens and the latest recall involves a company called Nutek Disposables out of McElhattan, Pennsylvania. In case you do not live in Pennsylvania and you don’t think you’ve ever heard of Nutek baby wipes, think again. The wipes are sold by the brand names, Cuties, Diapers.com, Femtex, Fred’s, Kidgets, Member’s Mark, Simply Right, Sunny Smiles, Tender Touch, and Well Beginnings. Those all sound like healthy, positive names for a baby product, right? The wipes are sold at popular stores, Sam’s Club, Family Dollar, Walgreens, Fred’s, and Diapers.com. The wipes have been tested and found to contain a bacteria called Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia), which can harm those who have compromised immune systems, especially those with the disease cystic fibrosis or chronic lung disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put out an immediate voluntary recall on October 25, 2014 for the wipes distributed by Nutek before October 21, 2014. They cite complaints of symptoms such as rash, irritation, infections, fever, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory problems by users of the wipes. They state these symptoms have not been definitively linked to the subject wipes, but to err on the side of caution the recall was made public. Nutek, itself, has put out statements that no baby wipes are being shipped out of their manufacturing plant until the cause of the bacterial contamination has been found because the company is very serious about its product quality and safety. The FDA and Nutek are working in conjunction with one another and recommend seeing a doctor if a compromised person exposed to the wipes. The products themselves can be taken back to the store where purchased for a full refund and Nutek can be contacted with questions at 1-855-646-4351. Be careful out there consumers. A lesson can be learned here once again that if a product of any kind does not look right, be cautious in use and do not hesitate to report the possible problem to the product’s company to help stay safe in this big world of product recall and liability issues.