UPDATE: The mainstream media has finally picked up this story. From KNBC in California: KNBC's Ana Garcia Investigates Carter's Tagless Clothes
NOTE: UPDATE HERE
Carter's baby clothing line is perhaps the most ubiquitous baby clothing line in the country. They are inexpensive and found just about everywhere. Unfortunately, Carter's tagless baby clothes (the tag has been replaced by a sort of silk-screen tag) have been causing some serious problems. Apparently, when the tag square comes in contact with an infant's skin, it is leaving a rash, burn, or welt. The web is quickly filling with reports--and photos--like this. This photo is from blog, http://thoughtsluiza.blogspot.com/.
Carter's has been somewhat responsive: parents are reporting that complaints result in refunds and a request for every single Carter's item they own be returned to the company in a pre-paid mailer. I hope this means they are testing the items rather than collecting them all to avoid lawsuits. In any case, a recall can be instigated more quickly if parents contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: 1-800-638-2772 or file online by clicking here.
The possibilities are literally endless. Formaldehyde: direct contact on skin creates symptoms like this. Heavy metals? From one of my favorite sites, Z Recommends comes this information:
An individual who identified themselves on a message board as being "involved with the manufacturing of tagless labels" said that there are two basic types of tagless labels - one made of phthalate-containing PVC, and the other containing two possible irritants:
One is a plastisol type, which is the same basic material that the large designs on the front of t-shirts is made of... the ink is a PVC blended into a phthalate... at a certain temperature the PVC melts and the 2 components form a solid... that solid is transferred to the shirt with heat and pressure... this type of ink is on the way out as phthalates are now being classified as hazardous... residual phthalate from not fully fused ink is what is most likely causing the reaction.
The other type of ink is a solventborne polyurethane that is post cured via a catalyst... typically a polyisocyanate... this ink can have 2 possible irritants... small levels of formaldehyde in the urethane or residual polyisocyanate that is left unreacted...
You can find the whole Z Rec's article on the tagless problem here. It seems as if Carter's is not the only tagless onesie causing this problem, but what I find interesting is that this problem has not arisen before. These tagless clothes have been around for at least a couple years with few if any reports of such a reaction, that I'm aware of. I'll follow this story. In the meantime, I suggest considering getting rid of your Carter's tagless infant clothes and, as a precaution, considering getting rid of any tagless clothing. (I just bought a bunch of tagless clothes from Baby Gap that have the same kind of "tag" on the back.) My son has had no reaction to any tagless products but it may just be a question of tolerance level. Direct exposure to phthalates or formaldehyde, whether or not it results in an "open, weeping sore", is to be avoided at all costs.
6 comments:
Thanks for the links to our coverage of this story. We've posted an update on the Carter's situation including information about the recent CPSC warning here: http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/cpsc-releases-rash-advisory-for-carters-tagless-apparel
MY SON HAS HAD A RASH/BLISTERY RED SPOT FOR OVER 2 MONTHS - WE WERE TOLD MAYBE EXZCEMA OR BUG BITE...THEY WERENT SURE EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS DR VISITS WE COULDNT DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS, WE NOW FEEL/KNOW ITS A CHEMICAL REACTION/BURN FROM THE CARTERS TAGLESS CLOTHES. IT BUBBLED ONE NIGHT THEN POPPED AND OOZED. IT DID HEAL AFTER NEOSPORIN...BUT I FELT HORRINLE FOR MY BABY BOY! AND WE STILL CANT CLEAR THE RED PATCH UP. I HAVE A TON OF ITEMS - SO FAR WE COUNTED 20+ BUT ITS NOT JUST THE FALL 2007 LINE ITS ALL OF IT, AT LEAST FOR MY SON ITS ALL TAGLESS. EITHER THAT OR THEY ARE AGGRAVATING THE CONDITION FRIN THE INITIAL SPOT! AND SADLY OLD NAVY, TARGET & GAP ARE USING THEM NOW TOO - WE CANT GET AWAY. (THE ONLY PLACE I CAN FIND THAT USES TAGS IS GYMBOREE & CRAZY 8) WE ARE HOPING THIS MARK OR NOW SCAR WILL FINALLY CLEAR UP AND HE WONT BE SCARRED FOR LIFE BY THEIR NEGLIGENCE. YES THEY ARE WILLING TO TAKE IT ALL BACK & REFUND - BUT BY DOING THAT THERE GOES YOUR EVIDENCE. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT MUST BE STARTED NOT EVEN FOR THE $$ BUT FOR THE FACT THEY WONT RECALL! AND THE FACT THEY ALLOW BABY CLOTHES TO BE MADE WITH THESE DANGEROUS CHEMICALS FULLY KNOWING WHAT COULD HAPPEN. THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THE $$$! THERE ARE TONS OF BABIES OUT THERE REACTING IT BREAKS MY HEART! PLEASE CALL THE CPSC IF THEY GET ENOUGH CALLS THEY WILL BE FORCED TO RECALL! GOOD LUCK TO ALL, SPREAD THE WORD SO NO MORE BABIES GO THROUGH THIS. NMUSSNER@YAHOO.COM THANK U
NICOLE
Hi Nicole,
I am so sorry about your little boy, but I am grateful that the cause of his rash has been revealed. One thing I've done with those tagless onesies that have irritated my son's skin a little bit is to sew a patch of fabric over the "tag" or even just use electrical tape, if your child is toddler age. You're right, it is next to impossible to find tagged clothes these days. And you are also right that this reaction is not limited to Carter's; because phthalates are used in these heat-transferred tags, even small amounts can affect particularly sensitive children. I wish you lots of luck.
To whom it may concern, Majority of my son's clothing is by Carter. Unfortunatly my son has been experiencing a rash for over 2 months. I have changed to sensitive detergent to wash his clothes thinking it was from harsh detergent, buying and throwing away bibs thinking that the velcro was irritating his skin. It is starting to be a expensive situation. When I found out about the carter labels, my next step is throwing away the clothing that have the labels that is causing his skin irritation. I realized when I was going through hos clothes that majority or his clothing are from your company from all 2007 line due to my son only being 16 months. Unfortunatly I am unable to afford to by my son new clothing if possible I would like to have more information regarding the refund for the clothing that is causing my sons agonizing skin irritation.
Here's the bad news... I just bought my daughter new Carter's Pj's this fall with a "stenciled" tag. She has STILL been burned! I will never support Carter's again!
my baby also 5mths I thought it was the detergent but guess what.. it was a tagless onesies. I already call FOX 5 to investigate this.. hopefully people h won't go thru what we've been thru.. its really sad.. I have pictures on facebook and theres even a group called "Mothers Against Tagless Onesies" MATO.. They need to recall those onesies and pj's.
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