Baby wipes causing a rash of skin complaints

A preservative used in baby wipes is causing a rash of skin complaints.

The problem is an increasingly common allergic reaction to a preservative used in some brands.

But it's parents' hands, not babies' bottoms, that are breaking out, according to a research letter published in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.

But the rashes could also appear on other parts of the body because the preservative, Methylisothiazolinone (MI), is also used in make-up removal wipes, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, moisturisers, sunscreens and deodorants.

"MI is now the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis among our patient population," write dermatologist Dr Jennifer Cahill and her colleagues.

"The most common source of MI is disposable wet wipes, now commonly used in nappy changing."

She and her colleagues at the Skin and Cancer Foundation in Melbourne routinely test people with rashes for the allergy.

The proportion of positive tests has soared from 3.5 per cent in 2011 to 11.3 per cent in 2013.

"Ironically it is the parents who are consulting doctors with rashes on their hands," co-author Associate Professor Rosemary Nixon told AAP.

But there could be under-diagnosis among babies, partly because nappy rash is common and partly because they are unlikely to be tested.

People with concerns should look for MI among the ingredients on their product, she said.

The best thing was to try determine the cause of a rash through a process of elimination.

If it failed to go away or returned, people should see a GP.

- AAP