Huggies Responds to Accusations of Glass in Baby Wipes
A California mom’s videos of what she believes to be glass shards in a new package of Huggies baby wipes has quickly gone viral, prompting similar complaints from other parents, as well as an investigation by the company.
“Glass, glass everywhere,” says Melissa Estrella in a video in which you see only her hands and the Huggies “cucumber” wipes posted to her Facebook page on Aug. 20. “I’m not lying, you guys, this is glass on my daughter’s wipes. I’m so heartbroken that I didn’t notice this sooner.” Another video from Estrella, above, is similar. (Skip to around the three-minute mark to see her rub a tiny shard onto her finger.)
STORY: How Walmart’s New Car Seat Will Save Babies’ Lives
The Facebook footage has already been viewed more than 7 million times and shared more than 215,000 times, and has incited fear among many commenters, many of whom have used social media to share their own similar stories.
“I found RUST and glass in mine,” wrote one mother, while another said, “That’s why my kids are always itchy and have like scratch marks.” Estrella, a Ventura, Calif., mother of a toddler with another baby on the way, did not respond to Yahoo Parenting’s request for comment. But she explains in the comments section of her post that she first noticed the sharp bits when she used a wipe to remove makeup from her face and it scratched her skin — something another parent says brought the same issue to her attention.
STORY: One Mom’s Terrifying Moment With Sophie the Giraffe
Other parents have responded by writing about their experiences directly on the Huggies Facebook page, where one mom posted a photo of cuts on her “son’s bottom,” noting, “I at first thought it was a weird rash but then I checked my wipes and found large shards that I am able to pick out.” Another noted that her baby “screams in agony” when she wipes him and that her “fingers got cut up.”
A spokesperson for Huggies manufacturer Kimberly-Clark, Terry Balluck, tells Yahoo Parenting, “We’ve actually retrieved the product from the consumer, and it’s currently with an independent lab.” He adds that Estrella told the company that her baby had not been injured, and that the company suspects the shiny pieces she saw may have something to do with the “molted fibers from the materials used to manufacture the product,” meaning a reaction “when you blend polypropylene and cellulose.”
The company has also been quick to respond to the many social media complaints on Facebook, with a statement that reads, in part, “We take any concerns about our products very seriously and we are working directly with this parent to learn more about what happened and how we can help. Nothing is more important than the safety of the little ones who use our products. Families put their trust in Huggies wipes every day, and all of our Huggies products have been thoroughly evaluated to ensure they are safe. In addition, we have stringent quality controls in place, and no glass is used during the manufacture of our wipes.”
In addition, the Kimberly-Clark website includes the following statement, “As part of an ongoing effort to keep parents informed regarding concerns about our wipes, Huggies continues to take proactive steps to review our manufacturing process and ensure the absolute safety and quality of all of our products. To confirm, no glass is used during the manufacturing process. Generally speaking, we make our product by combining a blend of fibers. Rarely, but on occasion, when those fibers combine together while being formed, they creating a shiny particle similar to what was found by this consumer. We are currently in the process of testing the product in question from the consumer, which will allow us to conduct a full investigation. Once test results are completed, we will share our findings publicly.”
The company has not issued a recall. In the meantime, Nancy Cowles, executive director of the national nonprofit Kids in Danger, dedicated to improving the safety of children’s products, suggests parents not use the product. “This is one of those things that clearly needs to be looked at,” Cowles tells Yahoo Parenting, adding that despite glass not being used in the manufacturing process, “it could be some freak thing — a shattered bulb — you never know.”
Cowles believes Huggies should “do the right thing” and give refunds, no matter what it discovers. She also urges parents to file a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission if they have experiences similar to that of Estrella’s. “Wipes are something you expect to be pretty pristine,” she says.
Please follow @YahooParenting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Have an interesting story to share about your family? Email us at YParenting (at) Yahoo.com.
