Pampers Calls Rumors Completely False

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May 06, 2010, 04:12 ET

CINCINNATI, May 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pampers (NYSE: PG) today described rumors about its new Dry Max diaper as "completely false."

Jodi Allen, Vice President for Pampers, said, "For a number of weeks, Pampers has been a subject of growing but completely false rumors fueled by social media that its new Dry Max diaper causes rashes and other skin irritations. These rumors are being perpetuated by a small number of parents, some of whom are unhappy that we replaced our older Cruisers and Swaddlers products while others support competitive products and the use of cloth diapers. Some have specifically sought to promote the myth that our product causes 'chemical burns.' We have comprehensively and thoroughly investigated these and other claims and have found no evidence whatsoever that the reported conditions were in any way caused by materials in our product. Independent physicians, highly respected in the field, have analyzed our data and have confirmed our conclusions. This week we have shared these findings, and other detailed safety information, with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and we welcome its involvement in reviewing these claims and helping to educate parents on the true causes of diaper rash.

At Pampers, we want to reassure all parents that the materials used in the new diaper are not new -- they are the same type used in our previous products -- and do not and cannot cause so-called chemical burns or other serious skin conditions. We have encouraged these parents who have contacted us to speak with their own pediatricians about the true nature and cause of these problems.

To date, there have been in excess of two billion diaper changes using the new product, with only a handful of rash complaints, none of which were shown to be caused by the type of materials in our product. In fact, we have received fewer than two complaints about diaper rash for every one million diapers sold, which is average for our business and does not deviate from the number of calls we received prior to Dry Max. The majority of our consumers are telling us that they prefer the Dry Max product over the ones it replaced because it is 20% thinner than before.

Unfortunately, diaper rash is very common, and sometimes severe, regardless of the diaper used. At any given moment, more than 250,000 babies will experience a serious rash. Disposable diapers in fact have helped reduce the incidence of rash by more than 50 percent since they were first introduced in the 1960s because they pull wetness away from a baby's skin. It is very common for parents to correlate a change in our products with the sudden appearance of a rash. Pampers routinely sees a temporary increase in calls whenever we introduce a modification to our products.

We will continue to work hard to educate parents on the facts surrounding this story, as well as defend the integrity of our product from false and misleading information."

Additional Information

Sound bite from Dr. Suzanne Loiselle, New York City pediatrician and Clinical Instructor of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Medical Center

https://download.yousendit.com/bFFPZEUwNkdENlN4dnc9PQ

Soundbites from Pampers:

http://rcpt.yousendit.com/864860333/da24a1b6f8f3da70ac5f51a5040ffa93

SOURCE Procter & Gamble