Abuse of wet paper can harm children

A new study found that common wet paper products can cause children to have a rash, pain in the skin because of preservative chemicals.

According to researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine (USA), preservatives called methylisothiazolinone (MI) in wet paper can cause allergic reactions in some children. MI is a chemical that dramatically increases dangerous allergic reactions with countless beauty care products.

Until now, no wet paper allergies have been reported in the United States, but researchers say this may be because symptoms are often misdiagnosed with other diseases, such as eczema. Allergies may be more common than people realize.

Researchers have looked at 6 cases of children with severe rashes. The first case is an 8-year-old girl with red rash on her face and buttocks. She was treated with antibiotics and steroids, but after each treatment, the rash appeared again. The researchers suspect that girls may be allergic. Her mother said she used wet paper to wipe her mouth and buttocks.

Wet paper is very popular with parents to clean their children for convenience.(Photo: Corbis)

Having read about the case of a Belgian man who was allergic to MI in children's wet paper, researcher Mary Wu Chang examined the baby's allergic reaction to the chemical and the result was positive. Surprisingly, after the mother stopped using wet paper for her daughter, the red bumps disappeared.

For the next 2 years, 5 more children were taken to the health center with similar redness symptoms. In each case, the rash disappears as soon as the child is no longer wiped with wet paper.

Despite this discovery, Dr. Chang does not recommend that parents should stop using wet children's paper. She thinks they are very convenient, especially when you are traveling. But if at home, it is best for parents to use mild water and mild detergent for children to minimize exposure to allergy chemicals.

According to Dr. Robin Gehris of the University of Pittsburgh Hospital (USA), the number of children with allergy to MI is increasing. This expert said that this may be because the manufacturers have increased the amount of preservatives in children's wet paper products.