Wipes May Cause Rashes

Does your kid have a bum rash that just won’t clear up? If you’re using wipes, they may be the rash-causing culprit. According to a study from the May Clinic, the preservative methylchloroisothiazolinone, or MCI, found in the wipes, caused rashes in some adults for extended periods of time -- we're talking 20 years of discomfort. (Patients usually assume the wipes will help, so they keep on using them, perpetuating the problem.) A reaction seems to be triggered by an allergy to MCI, but docs are still unclear how many people are affected by this allergy.

Researchers are not recommending that parents quit using baby wipes (thank goodness), but if your potty-trained kid has a rash that won't go away, you might want to switch from moistened wipes to good old-fashioned toilet paper to see if it clears up.