Pampers Dry Max Controversy: My Opinion

As I told you all, I was asked to travel to Pampers Baby Center to listen to their side of the Pampers Dry Max Debate.   Since Blake is still in diapers, I reviewed the Dry Max Cruisers back in February and have purchased these diapers ever time I had to buy diapers since then.  To date, I have not had any issues with the diapers.

Contrary to popular belief, I was not compensated for this trip other than my travel expenses.  And, unless you consider getting on 3 planes all within 36 hours is my idea of a good time, than THINK AGAIN!   I will report to you what I learned from the Pampers team.  I will state now that this is my opinion and what I learned. 

1)  Pamper Dry Max contains chemicals: The Dry Max Diapers contain the same ingredients that were present in the old Swaddlers and Cruisers.  The difference in the Dry Max is that the found a way to fix the adsorbent gel with using less pulp, which results in the slimmer diaper.  Since the gel is more adsorbent, there is only an increase of about 5% in gel put into the diaper.  The adsorbent gel used is an inert polyacrylate, which is non-toxic.  For a full list of ingredients used in the Dry Max Diapers, click here.

2)  The Dry Max Diaper Causes Chemical Burns:  There has been no evidence that the new Dry Max causes chemical burns.  95% of hospitals use Pampers Swaddlers with Dry Max, and not one has reported any issue with the diapers.  Pampers also reached out to the American Pediatric Association and the American Association of Dermatology and neither are seeing any complaints or increase in diaper rash.  If you feel that your child is having an issue with the diapers, first see your pediatrician to make sure that you are properly treating your child’s ailment, and then call Pampers at 1-800-PAMPERS to let them know.

3)  Chemical Burn vs. Diaper Rash:  The term chemical burn is very severe.  I work with strong acids on a daily basis and have had small chemical burns on my arms.  It is very different from a diaper rash.  A chemical burn would be on every area touched by the diaper and would take months to heal.  A diaper rash can clear up in 2 to 4 days with proper treatment.  If you feel that your child has a chemical burn, you should immediately bring him/her to the emergency room, as you would not be able to wait to see your pediatrician.

4)  Does Pampers Care:  From what I witnessed, YES they do care!  They are parents, just like us, and have been spending many extra hours at work to try and solve these issues.  Since the new Dry Max Diaper complaints started they have gone back through their research an re-checked everything.  They have put outside eyes on the problem and have been actively addressing the issue.  They have added extra staff to their call centers and tried to reach out to as many parents as possible.  Keep in mind when you read media statements, they are not always released as they are stated.  Have they made some media mistakes, yes, but when you are attacked you tend to go on the defensive.  They are now taking a step at trying to reach out to moms and let them know that they are their to listen.

5)  Did Pampers Use Your Baby For Testing:  NO!!  The Dry Max Diaper has been in the development for the last 10 years!  This gave them plenty of time to test the product before it was released.  In this time, the diaper went through extensive testing, including over 300,000 diaper changes on over 20,000 babies, including one of the developer of Dry Max’s baby.  They have used this product on their own children, and would continue to do so.

6)  Dry Max is Being Investigated By the CPSC:  The CPSC investigates every complaint that it receives, so yes they are investigating Pampers Dry Max.  Pampers traveled to Washington D.C. and met with the CPSC to make sure that they have all the necessary information for this investigation.  Results have not been released as of today.

7)  Why Were the Dry Max Diapers Released in Old Cruiser Packaging:  As with most new products, the Dry Max diapers were released in the old Cruiser packages.  We were told that this is normal with most products, but they would reconsider this method next time.  The new Dry Max diapers started hitting stores 20 months ago in the old Cruiser packaging.  The complaints about the new Dry Max did not start until January and did not spike over the normal complaint line until April 2010!

I have not seen any evidence that will cause me to stop using Pampers Dry Max.  I have read a lot of the articles available online and visited the Facebook page. I would be happy to try and answer any other questions that you have, but will not tolerate being attacked. 

To see what the other moms who traveled to Pampers with me thought visit: Kate at The Shopping Mama, Tiffany at Babes and Kids Reviews, and Stephanie at And Twins Make 5.

 If you feel that you are having issues with Dry Max Diapers, consult your pediatrician and contact Pampers.