Recently, several parents have complained that infants and toddlers developed recurring diaper rash and even skin breakdown after using diapers from well-known brands. The symptoms quickly improved once they stopped using the diapers.
“China Economic Review” commissioned a professional testing agency to determine that diapers from various brands such as “Haoqi,” “Babybelle,” and “Babycare” contained the toxic substance, formaldehyde. Currently, domestic brands like “Babybelle” and “Babycare” have removed the problematic products from the market. It is worth noting that formaldehyde is not included in official testing standards, highlighting a lack of regulation.
On June 18th, “China Economic Review” released an investigative report stating that diapers from brands like “Haoqi,” “Babybelle,” and “Babycare” were found to contain the toxic substance formaldehyde in a sampling test conducted by a professional testing agency. A journalist from the publication tested a diaper and revealed that the formaldehyde concentration in the blood nearly doubled after one night.
Medical testing agencies also detected this substance in the blood and urine of some infants and toddlers.
Citing screening results from the Shandong Provincial Public Health Clinical Center Mass Spectrometry Research and Clinical Application Center, “China Economic Review” reported that the detection rate of formaldehyde in infant blood samples was significantly higher than in adult blood samples, with levels capable of causing harm to the body. A testing personnel indicated a strong correlation between the detection of formaldehyde and the use of diapers for infants and toddlers.
Director Yu Zhaoyan from the center stated that formaldehyde can be absorbed through the skin, and prolonged exposure can damage the liver and kidneys, interfere with infant reproductive development, as evident in clinical tests on children who used related products long-term.
In response to the reports, Kimberly-Clark (China) Co., Ltd. issued a statement on June 18th regarding the detection of formaldehyde in “Haoqi” brand diapers. Through testing by authoritative third-party agencies, it was confirmed that “Haoqi” brand diapers did not contain formaldehyde, complying with relevant national standards for infant diapers. The company is currently verifying the testing methods with relevant agencies. The “Curious Forest” series is still being sold online.
Domestic brand “Babycare” stated that they have not received any official notifications or feedback from market supervision departments regarding failed inspections, and previous proactive tests showed no detection of formaldehyde. They have now engaged multiple third-party agencies to conduct independent sampling tests on the entire product range and have removed the implicated products from the market.
After being approached by the media, domestic brand “Babybelle” announced that they have initiated a verification process. Although they have doubts about the media’s sampling sources and testing procedures, they have voluntarily withdrawn the implicated products and commissioned authoritative third parties for comprehensive re-inspections.
It is noteworthy that the current Chinese national standard GB/T 28004.1—2021 for diapers does not include formaldehyde testing items or limit requirements.
Yu Zhaoyan recommended that regulatory authorities promptly revise the national diaper standard to include toxic substances like formaldehyde in mandatory testing categories, establish clear safety limits, and fill regulatory gaps to prevent harmful diapers from continuing to harm infants and toddlers.
Public information indicates that formaldehyde is a man-made synthetic chemical that the human body does not produce naturally and can only enter the body through external contact.
Formaldehyde is a colorless transparent liquid at room temperature and has been classified as a reproductively toxic substance.
The European Chemicals Agency categorizes formaldehyde as a Class 1B reproductively toxic substance (high risk), and the Chinese “List of Prohibited Cosmetics Ingredients” explicitly prohibits its addition to skincare products.
On June 18th, various topics related to this issue quickly became trending on Weibo.
Many parents expressed their concerns, with comments such as, “What other brands apart from the three mentioned are containing formaldehyde? Speak up!””All the brands implicated are ones my son has used. This is harming the next generation. Where is the supervision in all of this? I’m speechless.” “Although ‘Babybelle’ and ‘Babycare’ have been retested and removed, ‘Haoqi’ is still being sold. The fact that formaldehyde is not part of the current mandatory testing standards in the national standard is concerning. This means ‘compliance’ does not equal ‘absolute safety.'”
“A diaper safety crisis has engulfed the entire mother and baby industry. Leading brands like ‘Haoqi,’ ‘Babybelle,’ and ‘Babycare’ have been embroiled in the formaldehyde issue, a substance known for its reproductive toxicity, posing irreversible health risks with long-term exposure.”
In China, “Haoqi” diapers are part of the Huggies brand, which is the same brand as HUGGIES overseas, both under the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Although the brands are the same, products in the Chinese market typically utilize local supply chains and factories, with regulations enforced based on local laws.
Internationally, apart from the strict restrictions on formaldehyde by the EU’s REACH (Rapid Alert System for non-food products) regulations, particularly concerning infant products, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sets high standards for chemical substances in baby products, and countries like Japan and South Korea have restrictions on chemical substances in baby products.