Pampers Diaper Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Over Skin Rashes

Proctor & Gamble has agreed to pay nearly $3 million to settle lawsuits over their Pampers “Dry Max” diapers, which claimed that the diapers caused babies to suffer severe and painful diaper rash. 

The children of 59 parents who sued P&G over the alleged side effects of Dry Max Pampers will receive $1,000 each and the rest will go to attorney fees. The company has also agreed to launch a $400,000 skin rash training program for pediatric health care providers.

In March 2010, Proctor & Gamble released new Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers diapers using “Dry Max” technology. The diapers were thinner than previous Pampers and were touted for increased absorption and comfort.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received thousands of reports of Pampers Dry Max diaper rashes and dozens of parents filed Pampers Dry Max lawsuits as a result.

Many parents said that once they switched to the Dry Max brands, their children developed rashes that would blister and ooze. At that time, Procter and Gamble officials suggested that the controversy was manufactured by a group of mothers who were upset that the company had changed the way it made its diapers.

Despite the settlement, the company still says that there is no evidence that the diaper rashes were caused by Dry Max. However, last month P&G announced it was dropping the Dry Max brand and revamping its Cruisers and Swaddlers diapers to be softer and more absorbent. The change came only a little more than a year after the launch of the Dry Max line, which were supposed to be a thinner, more absorbent diaper.

Both U.S. and Canadian government officials reported that they have been unable to find any specific links between the Dry Max diapers and the severe rashes reported by parents. However, the CPSC told parents who were concerned to stop using that brand of diaper and says it still wants to receive reports of severe diaper rashes.