Parents warned to choose child car seats and baby wipes carefully
Rashes, hormone issues could stem from chemicals found in many samples of baby wipes tested by the Consumer Council
Parents have been warned to choose baby wipes and child car seats carefully after the consumer watchdog found that some products did not meet safety standards, or contained harmful, even carcinogenic substances.
After recent overseas research showed that the preservative methylisothiazolinone (MIT) in baby wipe products could lead to severe rashes for babies, the Consumer Council at its monthly press conference yesterday announced the results of its tests on 44 types of baby wipe products available in Hong Kong.
Nine of those the council tested contained MIT, it said.
Professor Michael Hui King-man, the council's publicity and community relations committee chairman, referred to the European Union's recommendation against using MIT in skin cosmetics and personal care products to cut the risk of allergic reactions.
He said another preservative of concern was paraben, found in 11 types of baby wipes the council studied, which could affect one's hormone levels. The EU also banned the use of paraben in cosmetics, including baby wipes, he added.