Two agencies investigating claims that Procter & Gamble Co's Pampers Dry Max gave children severe diaper rash reported Thursday that they have found no specific cause linking the diapers to rashes.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada conducted separate reviews of the diapers in response to nearly 4,700 incident reports of diaper rash arising from Pampers Dry Max, according to a CPSC statement.
The Dry Max diapers, promoted as thinner and more absorbent than other brands, were touted as one of P&G's biggest innovations. But the diapers became a public relations fiasco when a group of parents filed a lawsuit and angry parents formed a Facebook group asking P&G to return to the old Pampers formulation.
The agencies found no link between the diapers and health complaints they have received but will continue to consider consumer complaints, according to a CPSC statement.
"We hope that today's announcement will reassure the millions of moms and dads and child caregivers who place their trust in Pampers and Dry Max every day," Jodi Allen, vice president of Pampers, said in a statement Thursday.
Allen said diaper rash is a common condition in babies, a response P&G gave parents when complaints surged in May. CPSC said it received about 85 percent of the complaints during that month.
CPSC said it could not rule out the possibility of a health problem for some babies. The agency said parents who think a diaper is giving their child a rash should talk to their pediatrician.
P&G shares rose 0.45 percent to $60.07 on Thursday in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.