A major baby wipes manufacturer just announced a major recall of products. Baby wipes from the brands Cuties, Diapers.com, Femtex, Fred's, Kidgets, Member's Mark, Simply Right, Sunny Smiles, Tender Touch, and Well Beginnings, sold before October 21, are all subject to recall because the packaging may have bacteria.
The contaminated wipes were sold at Walgreens, Sam's Club, Family Dollar, Fred's, and Diapers.com.
Nutek Disposables, the company that produced these wipes, became aware of the defect recently after some customers complained of a bad odor or discoloration on the wipes. Some of the wipes tested positive for Burkholderia cepacia. The company began testing the baby wipes for this bacteria, and recalled the products that tested positive. Recently, the company decided to withdraw all of its baby wipes just to be safe.
B. cepacia does not affect most healthy people, but it may be harmful for people with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases. According to the CDC's website, people with cystic fibrosis are especially susceptible to this bacteria. If you believe you may have used one of the affected baby wipes and have a weakened immune system or a chronic lung disease, you should contact your doctor immediately. B. cepacia can cause a decline in lung function in susceptible individuals.
Nutek only received one health complaint, of irritation, by October 3, when it first began recalling affected wipes. However, since then, the company has received many more complaints of rashes, fevers, and other symptoms which people believe to be caused by using the product. None of these reports have been confirmed yet to be caused by the bacteria in the wipes.
Nutek is working with the FDA to ensure that all products are recalled. The FDA's website has a chart detailing the brands that have been recalled. People who bought the affected products are subject to a full refund. Any questions can be addressed to Nutek by calling the number 1-855-646-4351, any time from Monday to Friday, 10 AM - 4 PM Eastern time.
