By Kim Chisnall
Parents are being urged to consider carefully what they buy for their babies and children, after a nationwide recall of baby-wipes.
Shopping for a new addition to the family can be a bewildering experience.
What's new, what's helpful, and most importantly, what's safe.
Mother Rachel Dickson swapped to a new type of baby wipes last month - the next day she discovered they were part of a nationwide recall of four common supermarket brands - all had the banned preservative IPBC on their labels.
“It's quite scary how trusting we are and how you can't always put your trust in products which is disappointing,” says mother Rachel Dickson.
IPBC can cause skin rashes and irritation.
Consumer magazine says the baby wipes recall isn't the first time a banned substance has been found in baby products.
“We've found moisturizers, body lotions, a gel for a child that actually contained banned substances so you know we don't think there is enough enforcement,” says Consumer magazine’s Sue Chetwin.
The Ministry of Health say while they'll investigate any complaint, they don't check products before they're allowed on supermarket shelves.
“The responsibility with complying is with the retailers, we have to take action if there is a breach,” says Public Health Deputy Director Dr Fran McGrath.
Australia has over 25 mandatory standards relating to everything from dummies to magnets on toys, New Zealand by comparison has just a handful, relying instead on manufacturers adopting voluntary standards.
At the Auckland Parent and Child Show, natural and preservative free are becoming big selling points - just ask the creator of a new baby wipe which is 99.9 percent water.
“There's a genuine awareness of what we are putting on our skin and of course especially little babies skin,” says Water Wipes director Edward McClosky.
But all-natural often means more expensive and consumer's advice for budget conscious parents is research anything you don't like the sound of on a label before you buy.
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