Monday, August 06, 2007

Kandon't: Flushable Wipes Cause Problems for Some Kids

Flushable wipes for kids sound like a good idea, but think again.

Not only are they only marginally flushable (the manufacturer only recommends "one or two wipes" per flush.

Problems with household plumbing are not the worst possibility- technical difficulties with your kid's plumbing are.

One of our young friends just completed potty training only to experience multiple urinary tract and yeast infections. The pediatrician was surprised until hearing about the child's use of Kandoo wipes.

They're loaded with alcohol which dries the skin (making it more prone to irritation) and heavy perfumes which cause irritation. For girls especially, this can create a painful and serious medical condition (or two) EVEN WHEN THEY WIPE PROPERLY.

"Here kiddo, have these fun themed food-scented wipes and learn all about true pain."

Why do we want melon-scented wipes in the first place?

Stick to non-flushable baby wipes if you want moisture or plain, unembellished toilet paper (avoid lotions and perfumes) to keep your kid's excretory systems running smoothly.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for alerting me to the dangers of these wipes. I suffered from UTIs as a child, probably from using scented bubble baths and colored toilet paper. When I start potty training my daughter next year, I definitely won't be using these!

indywriter said...

Caution: Potential TMI overload

I must admit that MissB has used these since they came on the market with no problems. But I made clear from the beginning that they weren't for "everyday" use. We used them only when she had a bm. Since she can't see back there, she was having trouble getting cleaned off. She used Kandoos only for that and not for the wiping anything/part else.

But I'm not surprised that it would cause problems for little girls especially. I always had similar sensitivities (I could never use Mr. Bubble until I was grown up, and then the idea that your bubbles are actually little men = creepy).

archiesgirl said...

Thanks for the warning! The bit about loaded with alcohol made me think about this:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp

I can't imagine a kid sucking on a wipe, but maybe if they smell like watermelon...

Anonymous said...

Wow, thanks for sharing. It's always good to be cautious with new products especially for kids. Basics are still the best.

Saph said...

Wow, I never knew that!!! Thanks for the warning! I was going to buy some but now I think I'll stick with baby wipes.

Anonymous said...

Believe it or not, some kids do suck on wipes. My son eats everything from paint, to play-doh, to bark mulch, to sucking the liquid out of baby wipes.

Anonymous said...

My daughter is three and a half years old and has already had 4 urinary tract infections and one rebound yeast infection following a course of antibiotic treatment. After several investigations into the cause of these infections including an ultrasound of her kidneys and bladder as well as a very uncomfortable micturating cysto-urethrogram all was found to be completely normal. It finally occured to me to ask my doctor about the flushable wipes my daughter has been using and she said that likely those have been the cause all along. We also used the wipes only for when my daughter had bowel movements but that is enough to do it apparently. I reccomend avoiding the use of these wipes!