My six month old son has an AWFUL contact rash where his skin has been in contact with tagless "tags". I first thought it was an allergic reaction to nickel in the snaps so I eliminated his shirts with snaps in the back but his rash continues. I have not come to a certain conclusion, but I do suspect that the rash is from the tagless print.

My son also has a horrible reaction to tagless print. He develops a large red welt at the site of contact. He constantly tries to scratch it and if he succeeds, it becomes very weepy. I think it is the adhesive that they use. He cannot wear shirts that have a large iron-on area on the front either. I wish clothing manufacturers would return to regular tags. Those do not bother him, and for the people they bother....cut them out!!

I am so relieved to hear other people having the same problems with tagless clothes! My son started having severe reactions to his tagless clothes at 4 months of age (he is now 6 months). His back will turn very red and start oozing right where the "stamp" is in the back of his clothes . . . the rash will appear as the exact size and shape of the stamp. The redness will then spread out from there. I have seen a number of pediatricians who confirmed it is an allergic reaction, we just don't know what material in the stamp is causing the reaction. My son has the most severe reaction to the Carter's brand tagless clothing. I have searched online and seen pictures of other babies with this reaction, and those pictures look like the same reaction my son had. I urge everyone who has experienced this to take pictures and send them to the clothing companies. There is obviously something very irritating about the tagless clothing, and I think the clothing companies should certainly do something about this!

What a relief to know that I am not crazy... My son is 5.5 months old and has been reacting horribly to the screen-printed "tag" in the back of his clothing for the past few weeks. (interesting that another mom said her son started to react around 4 months also!) We've seen the worst reaction to Carter's clothing, most definitely. I recently emailed Carter's to ask for more information but have not heard back. Now we are having a heck of time finding clothes with plain ol' tear-em-out tags for him to wear. Everything has this screen-print in it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Same here, what a relief it is to know that it is not just my son. It is only with the tagless shirts, and it just started when he was about 5 months old. Just as the others described: a large red, swollen bump, just the size as the "tag". I then proceeded to put Cortaid on it, and it dried it up, and big, thick flakes of skin came off within hours. Scary!! I too am bummed, all his clothes have it, and its hard to find the regular ol' tagged shirts!

My 7 month old son has also had a reaction to the tagless inks in his clothing since he was about 4 months old. It is scary to think what is in the inks that are causing this to happen to our babies. I wish they would go back to the old fashion tags as well. I am glad to know I am not the only parent out there dealing with this issue.

I have had the same problem w/ my daughter and Gerber's tagless onesies. She has also had the problem since about 4mos old. It got so bad that I took her to the doctor who thought she was having an allergic reaction to a virus. I finally just realized it was the tagless tag. I called Gerber's and they are having me send in the onesies (supposedly so they can test them) but they wouldn't tell me what ingredients they use to make the tags. They also told me that all of their products are going to tagless. I think it is important to report your issues to the companies as well as your doctors so they are aware of this problem. If my pediatrician would have known about the tagless tags perhaps perhaps my baby wouldn't have suffered as long or at least could properly diagnose other children. I just looked up Gerber and Carter's 1-800 numbers online. Gerber-1800-4gerber, Carter's 888-782-9548.

So glad to find this as well. My daughter has been having reactions since about 4 months also and I've just discovered that the Gerber tagless tags seem to bother her the most. I tested it out by putting the clothing on with the tag on her chest and her chest had the same reaction. I called Gerber to get information on what material is used. They said they could not tell me because it is proprietary information, but could assure me that there was no latex used. That's all the info I have, but am going nuts trying to find clothing that she can wear that doesn't bother her. Any advice on where to get clothing that's made for sensitive skin?

(This is a follow-up to a previous post I made on this site.) I received a reply from Carter's Clothing not long after I originally contacted them. They sent me self-addressed stamped envelopes to return ALL of our Carter's clothing due to my son's horrible reaction to the screen-print. They refunded me for each item, new and used, and said that they were being passed along to Quality Control. I have yet to receive a report on what those folks found but at least it has been called to their attention. We only have one Gerber's onesie with the tagprint and my son reacts to it as well. Good for you Moms who contacted them! A tip for 'tagged' clothing... Koala Kids (Babies R Us sells the brand) puts tags in all of their clothes and they are easy to cut out, no screenprint. We are only putting our son in their clothes now and have seen zero reaction in the last two months.

My goodness it breaks my heart to hear of all of the horrible reactions little ones have suffered from the ink. My guess is that the ink has heavy metals in it. This is one more reason to try certified organic cotton products. My company, along with many others, offer certified organic cotton clothing for babies and children. If you buy certified organic cotton you can rest assure that low impact dyes are being used. Also, my company uses snaps and zippers that have been tested to be heavy metal free. We are coming out with a organic baby basic line late this fall that will not have tags or anything at all at the neck - no need to cut the tags out.

I hope this helps and keep your eyes on the lookout for certified organic products. Debra's list has many good companies to choose from.

Follow up to my previous post. I was able to talk with a Customer Service representative at Carter's and they have asked that I send back all the clothes causing the irritation, which is all of them. They would not tell me what the ink consist of. However, they will test my clothing and send me a voucher for new clothes….of which I won’t use because I have eliminated all tag less clothing from my son's wardrobe. I have also instructed friends and family to only buy him clothes with the good old fashion tags in it. The rep. said that with the Spring line Carter's has a new tag less stamp that should stop this from happening. I don’t think I will be testing it out. I don’t want to put my son in anymore discomfort. I have also sent an e-mail to Target because their Circo clothing line breaks him out as well. I have not heard back from them to date.

Okay, it is 2 A.M.! I googled - baby with swollen rash on back because my poor 2 month old baby went to sleep with a bad rash! The same one everyone else is talking about!!!! But the crazy thing is, is that she wore a pink Carter's onezie today. Daaaaaang, this is crazy! It really is Carter's. I noticed that someone else said Gerber onezies do the same. That's going in the same pile as the Carter's toxic onezies! Man, we need to start a class action lawsuit! Seeing my baby like this is too much stress....I bet there's thousands like us.

Hey everyone! I just reported my issues w/ Carter's and Gerber's tagless tags to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission 1-800-638-2772 or file a report online too. It would be great if everyone reported their own incidents to the Commission so that these companies have more pressure to use safer, nontoxic materials on our babies. If your babies had the same itchy, red and raw rash my baby suffered for months then you would do it. I mean I had to give her Benadryl and Hydrocortisone cream (neither are good for babies) when it got really bad AND had to pay for a doctor's visit all b/c of these products!

Allie, thanks for your posting about the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. I just went on line and informed them of my son's reaction to the tagless ink stamps.

I know all the comments are about babies and young children, but what about adults? I am battling what my doctors are calling a dermatitis of "unknown etiology". The symptoms are very similar to those described by the parents above, except mine are happening on my back -- I just realized today that the itching, hives, and inflammation are where the tagless label from my bra is -- I wear the Spanx "Bra-llelujah" and while I really love this bra, I can't help but think the black ink screen printed on the back strap could be causing this rash... I do have other tops by JJill which also use this technology, but have no problems -- however, my bra is the only one with black ink... Is there any record of PPD or a similar compound being used in these labels? Or has anyone else experienced a similar problem, especially with this type of ink/label/or bra?

Hello, it's me again. All mothers on here please contact me at lina_doyle@yahoo.com. I have an attorney that would like to hear our stories. I will forward you his information. If you know of anyone else that has been affected by tagless onesies, please give them my info as well....Thanks!

Any doctor's visits associated with harmful products should be paid for by the company. Years ago, I had a bad reaction to an eye cream by a leading company (don't remember which. It was the first time I had bought something like that. When I called to report it they sent me information and forms to fill out, including about any doctor visits. It was clear that they were used to complaints about products and had a way to satisfy consumers and stave off some lawsuits.

Hey Everyone- I think it is important to make sure the companies do the right thing and make all products safe-especially for babies. However, I am not sure involving lawyers is necessarily the solution. I am interested to know how everyone else feels about this?

Also, if you can't give up all of your clothes w/ the tagless ink you can either turn the items inside out (in the case of undershirt onesies) or try a cloth-like tape over the tag(like the ones athletes use).

I found this message board by seeing if anyone was having any problems with tagless onesies. My 4 month old daughter is experiencing the same rash. She wears Carters and Gerber so it is probably caused by both. I appriciate all the information about how to find tagged clothing. Something needs to be done. Its so pitiful seeing the back of her neck flaming red and oozing. Does anyone have any advice to help soothe or clear up the rash quicker than time? I will try to cover the tagless tag with tape but will now pay more attention to the products I buy. I have also bought "Grananimals" brand at Walmart. I noticed it too has a tagless tag but do not know if she reacts to it. I would have not expected such a reaction especially from such a reliable and trusted company, such as Gerber and Carters, which is clearly focused on the well being of our babies.

I developed horrible itchy bumps on my upper back from a Gilligan O'Malley brand (Target) sleep shirt. I did not figure out the cause until I saw this thread. The strange thing is that I have other tagless items that do not cause any problems.

Anyway, I was able to get rid of the itching by washing the area with a paste of baking soda and water and the rash eventually disappeared (along with the awful shirt).

This works: Hypafix. Same story, when my baby was about 3 1/2 months old, a nasty rash popped up under the "tagless" tags. At first the pediatrician didn't know what it could be and I thought it was her tagged clothing causing irritation. Then the rash got much worse when I put her in tagless-only clothing. Carters onesies were the worst offenders, but I had problems with Gerber and Circo clothing also. It seems the "tagless" tags are on everything and they are here to stay. I cover up my daughter's tags with Hypafix; it is a soft, gauzy, self-adhesive, hypoallergenic dressing cover. I simply cover the tag with a square of Hypafix and it usually stays on her clothing through 4-5 washings. She's been rash free for 3 months.

That is a great idea about hypafix. Where do you buy it? My daughter also started developing bright red rashes when she was 3 months old around the area of the tagless tags. After trying many things, I finally just cut the tags out and the rash cleared up. I would much rather just cover it up rather than cut the clothes.

MY FRIEND HAS A GRANDCHILD THAT HAS BROKEN OUT AND HAD TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FROM CARTER'S TAGLESS CLOTHING. CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND WHO WE NEED TO CONTACT ABOUT THIS PRODUCT TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER CHILDREN. OR AT LEAST FORM A WARNING REGARDING THE MATERIAL. FOR SOME OF YOU - LATEX REACTIONS CAN BE EXTREMLY DANGEROUS TO AN INFANT. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW THAT THEIR MATERIAL IS MADE OF LATEX? I'M NOT SURE MYSELF, BUT DO KNOW THAT THIS BABY HAD A BAD REACTION. PLEASE ADVISE.

SINCERELY,

KIMBERLY - SOUTH CAROLINA

Hi Katie,

I found that using a hydrocortisone cream on the rash helps it go away quicker if the rash isn't too irritated. One night before I figured out what was causing the rash and it was probably at its worst, I gave her Children's Benadryl (alcohol and dye free). It isn't recommended to give to infants though and you have to ask your doctor to make sure it is ok and what dosage to give. It did help but she was literally screaming, writhing and arching her back in pain- I probably had her in one of those onesies too! Also, I have found that Baby Gap and Circo brands have not bothered her too much. I think it has something to do w/ the color of the tags. If they are dark they irritate her skin and the lighter ones seem ok (as far as I can tell.

Hi Kimberly, email me at lina_doyle@yahoo.com

All - I am so relieved to find that others have had problems with the "tagless" tags... my pediatrician found it HARD to believe and no one has complained at their practice but today our son had a reaction to Circo (Target) and prior to this he had same reaction to Carters. When the doctor saw it, she was alarmed and suggested writing the companies to determine what was in the ink or screen. As many have said our baby developed this irritation at 4 months and it took me about a month to determine the cause. He appears to be burned, it oozes clear to yellow substance and then causes his skin to peel. I am so irritated but have hope now and will write to the manufacturers. Thanks!

I just called Carter's to let them know my daughter was breaking out in a bad rash whenever she wore their clothes and the woman on the phone said she had a few calls with the same situation. She said they were coming primarily from their last season of clothes that have a big white box on the tagless tag. She said their new line is a different tag and hopefully is better. She asked that I send all my clothes back so they can investigate to find the cause of the problem and they would reimburse me for what I bought. I think it is important that whoever is having this problem send their clothes back so they can get to the root of the problem to fix it for the future. She did mention that the tag does not contain latex so that is good to know. I hope this helps!

My 11 month old daughter has the same nasty rash on her back from wearing Carter's tagless clothing. It started at around 4 months. At first our pediatrician said to use Aquaphor on it which is fine or at least it was at first...since then we've had to use a prescription antibiotic on it. It's amazing to me that someone tried to create "tagless" clothing because they believed that tags caused discomfort, but now it's the tagless clothing that is the problem. I'll stick to itchy tags and cut them out.

Hi, Thank you all for your comments. I'm relieved that my daughter isn't the only one with this issue. I was getting worried that it was her sensitive skin. She has the reaction to the Carter's clothing. It started when she was about 5 months old, the raw skin and oozing. I covered it with a large athletic bandage at night and during the day had her shirtless when I could. It went away and came back this weekend. I just emailed Carter's to find out what type of material the tag was made from. I'll also take your advice to send back the clothing for my money back. All of her onesies, sleepwear and day clothes are Carter's. Thanks for your advice and I look forward to seeing how Carter's will rectify their new clothing line next season.

So glad I found this thread! My daughter has had the same welted red rash to carters and gerbers tagless tags. Osh kosh also does tagless things and she has not had a reaction to those. She's reacted to the carters onesies and sleepers, but it's funny that one carters bubble dress she got as a gift, a probably re-gifted older one, she did not react to. Since bubble dresses are so darn convenient and I haven't found anyone else besides carters who makes them, I just bought two more and the rash is back again. So presumably this may be a new ingredient in the ink that's causing all this trouble. Good to know I'm not the only one! I'm taking pictures and sending them along to carters. I'm not really counting on a refund or anything. But they should be educated on what their tags are doing to baby skin!!

While reading this thread I noticed no one mentioned Hanna Andersson clothing. Much of it is organic and oco-tex SP? certified. What that means is absolutely NO toxic chemicals used in the production at any time. A lot of companies have jumped on the organic bandwagon using organic cotton for the fabric , then finishing the product with nasty, stinky, chemicals.

I know some will find Hanna's prices steep, but they have fantastic clearance sales at least twice yearly and then I stock up. The quality is unbeatable.

Hanna Andersson.com is the website, good shopping!

I can't believe everyone here is experiencing exactly what I have been trying to figure out with my 6 month old daughter. At 4 months she started with a rash on the back of her neck that dr said was contact dermatitis. Since then it has been coming and going and I just realized it flares up with the Carters' onsies with the white square tagless tag. I will call Carters to report her case as well so they can work their manufactures to figure out the problem. I had also thought it was a latex allergy. Money back would be nice since 75% of her clothes are Carters.

I have twin boys that are 9 months, and when they were 4 months I noticed that one of the would develop skin irritation due to the tagless clothing. I've put vasoline on his skin and the tag so it wouldn't be rough on his skin. It didn't work. Reading all these comments it seems like all the babies get these skin irritation around 4 or 5 months. Maybe there is more to these tagless clothing. I would love to see the tags come back with the clothing. It would be easier to cut them out then not be able to. I have to idea how to get the tagless print off of his clothes. I feel bad for my lil guy. It itches because he is always trying to scratch it.

This is an interesting thread... I am involved with manufacturing tagless labels... generally speaking there are 2 kinds of tagless labels... Latex is not one of them... I do not know of any labels currently being made with latex.

One is a plastisol type, which is the same basic material that the large designs on the front of t-shirts is made of... the ink is a PVC blended into a Phthalate... at a certain temperature the PVC melts and the 2 components form a solid... that solid is transferred to the shirt with heat and pressure... this type of ink is on the way out as phthalates are now being classified as hazardous... residual phthalate from not fully fused ink is what is most likely causing the reaction.

The other type of ink is a solventborne polyurethane that is post cured via a catalyst... typically a polyisocyanate... this ink can have 2 possible irritants... small levels of formaldehyde in the urethane or residual polyisocyanate that is left unreacted...

We have seen these problems with competitors labels and we are working on an alternative... our goal is a label that is 100% waterbased... curative free, pvc and phthalate free, and latex free... not only would the inks be non toxic but the production would be 100% "green"... we are looking to complete R&D on these in the near future... hopefully price doesn't cause a stumbling block to market pentration... unfortunately as with all things... money talks... if Carter and Gerber and the likes realize the demand and people are willing to pay an extra 25 to 50 cents more for "hypoallergenic" labels then it may come to pass.

I sure am glad to have come across this blog. My infant has been having reactions from all brands of "tagless" clothing since he was aproximately 3 months. Exact same symptoms. Red weeping rash, flakes when it heals. We thought it was a latex allergy. I called Gerber and they assured me that there is no latex in thier prints but couldn't or wouldn't tell me what is in them. I've been using paper medical tape to cover all labels. It's a nuisance but does work. I haven't tried it yet, but my husband also suggested cutting iron on patches to fit and applying those. I find it fustrating that none of the companies seem to be able to tell us what is in these products. I'd like good old-fashioned tags back please!!

Thanks to JP for caring enough to inform the public on the products that we are exposing our babies to. And also, thanks for working on a green version of the tags.

It is a bit disturbing to discover the chemicals involved in the tagless tags. I find it negligent that these companies specializing in baby products are using these chemicals AND not informing the public of the product contents. Not only should they have known of the potentially harmful effects of these products but morally they should have recalled these products and also informed the public of their chemical contents so that we are know what chemicals our children have reactions to!

I sorry everyone is having the problem, but I am glad to know that I am not alone. My son showed signs of the rash at 4 months old. It began as bumps and progressed to oozing and flaking. Gerber onesies were the offenders. He can wear Carters with no problem. Sounds like Carter really listens to what we are saying.

Adding to my comment above. I contacted Carters and they were very responsive and willing to take action in determining what in these labels is causing the problem. They sent me postage paid mailers to return all my carters items (I had two big bags full) and will be issuing reimbursement. The representative did not tell me what was in the labels but did say that the labels change with every season.

Thank you JP for the info on tag contents! It's very helpful to have such REAL information. And to others, I think it's kind of naive to expect all things to be chemical free. Chemicals are everywhere! Yes, companies should be more forthcoming in listing ingredients, but since when have ingredients ever been listed on apparel items? Maybe they should be. There are new discoveries made everyday on what is harmful and what is not. And corporations do take shortcuts in the interest of their bottom line. But most companies, IMO, are responsive to complaints and sometimes customers can tell them things they didn't already know. So all we can do is help the discovery process along by reporting problems such as this one.

Could someone please reply as to where to buy the Hypafix? Do you have to go to medical supply stores or can I buy it at my local Rite-Aid or Walgreens? Thanks!

Go to my blog at thoughtsluiza.blogspot.com to view my daughter's symptoms to Carter's tagless clothing. I want to share these photos with all the parents here for comparison reasons. I have contacted Carter’s and they are willing to reimburse me not only for the clothing that caused this severe rush but they are also willing to reimburse for all the expenses I incurred during this journey. Hope this helps.

My daughter also started to have a reaction at 4 months and I thought it was as a result of her "tagged" clothes. She spent the weekend in dresses and the rash had healed until I put her in a Carter's onesie with the full, stamp-shaped, tagless label on Monday. She came home from daycare with an oozing, swollen reaction. It was confirmed for me when I found this online discussion that it was, in fact, the Carter's onesie that caused the problem.

I contacted Carter's yesterday and they acknowledged that there was a problem with their Fall 2007 line's labels and believe that they have since rectified the problem. Without hesitation, they offered a full refund or replacement with recently manufactured styles. I received a package in the mail this morning (sent FedEx Priority Overnight) with a stuffed animal for my daughter and a postage-paid package for me to use to return the garments.

All in all, I am pleased with the way Carter's handled the situation with urgency and with the utmost in corporate responsibility. Once my daughter's rash heals, I will try the Carter's clothing manufactured with the new and improved labels to confirm that they don't irritate her. If all goes well, I will not hesitate to dress her in Carter's in the future.

This is just another scary thing on my list. I just read about possible formaldehyde levels from our nursery furniture and now this. Our doctor had no idea what the problem was so I am at least relieved to have a possible solution to the rash. We spoke with the doctor about whether it could e a reaction to something he was wearing or the crib mattress but they just said eczema and looked at us like we were crazy. Anybody in Alabama have a suggestion on a doctor who is more sensitive to these issues? Does anybody know if these clothes were limited to limited to a region of the country or particular store (target, etc.) or were they shipped all over?

My son is 5 months old and for the past week we have noticed a small rash on his back that has now spread over his back. I thought it was just dry patches of skin until a friend told me that her daughter has been having this problem too. Both of our children wear carters tagless clothes. And after googling the rash I have came across tons of websites of other parents experiencing rashes while there children are wearing carters tagless clothing.

My daughter has pretty sensitive skin, but luckily we have not had this exact problem at our house. I do find it very suspicious that the companies want all the clothes back. If it were me, I'd be very tempted to pay a lab to analyze the tagless crud using a mass spec and see exactly what is hurting these babies.

For those that have had this happen please report it to the Consumer Product Safety Commission at this website: there's even an 800 number you can call to report it

www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

good luck to all of you!

Wow!!! I can't believe this has become such an epidemic. My son just turn 1 years old and when he was six months old he got the same reaction as the other babies on here. At first I thought it was the nickel from buttons on the back of his clothing as well as the other mothers so I stopped using clothes with metal buttons on the back...but the sore wasn't going away. I got some prescribed creme from his prediatrition and was working until I put his Carter's feety pj's on him....the next morning his back was soaking wet and when I tried to take his pj's off his skin was stuck to it. of course I never used the pj's again but I didn't think it was something that was happening to other babies as well. I thought that he just had sensitive skin and had an allergic reaction. It's pretty apparant now that this merchandise needs to be taken off of the racks at the stores. This is not something to be taken lightly and should be taken care of as soon as possible. I do not have any pictures cause I though it was just a problem he had with the clothing...although I do still have the pj's.

Addendum to my previous comment. Re: laytex. Although these companies pride themselves with the tags not being laytex, I am curious to know How closely related is the tagless stuff chemically related to laytex.? Analogy : Wood Can be Pine, Ash, Oak, Mahogany, Etc, Its still all wood ! and plastic chemical poly stuff is still plastic chemical stuff. And Margerine is inly 1 (one ) chemical molicule different from plastic. So What is the chemical make up of this tagless non laytex stuff ???? Kudos to the mom who hired the attorney. and to all the other moms who contact her. A class action law suite would be appropriate considering Those children deserve some restitution for the Suffering they have endured. The manufactures are getting off cheap by just replacing the garments, so they can quietly brush this under the rug, And how does the comsumer protection dept stand on this issue ? Obviously with out concern for the children , Otherwise the garments would have been recalled already.

This is hanis. The clothes should be recalled. The macerated area on the baby's back strongly resembles a laytex adhesive tape reaction burn. I experienced the same type of reaction just hours after surgery, from the tape, and felt like the area was being stung by bees. Just a concerning thought. The children who strongly react to the tagless stuff, may also be at risk for severe latex allergies as well. After all, all of the plastic poly chemical stuff is no good for our skin.

Okay, so if you read this whole blog you will notice that I wrote in a couple of times. I have contacted an attorney several months ago to look into this matter. Apparently, Carter's attorney finally contacted the attorney recently and feels like there is only a small amount of cases and if it was something really wrong with their onesies, it would be thousands of cases. So you if know of others that has been affected by Carter's onesies, please direct them to this website to just write about it. That way we can show that it's a lot of babies affected by this. Then Maybe they will change what they're doing! Thanks!

I believe this has already been suggested, but I thought I would reiterate. Try taping over the labels with cloth tape. So many clothes are going tagless now that it's not realistic to get rid of all of the articles you already have, but the tape seems to work.

My daughter has a latex allergy and also had a small welt that turned into an oozing open sore on her neck last spring. We thought maybe the tagless materials had latex in them. We tried every cream and ointment we could, and nothing worked. Now, we tape all of her tagless clothes with cloth tape and use non-scented, non-dyed soaps and lotions, and the sore has been gone for 6 months.

Hope this helps some of you.

Hello everyone,
I'm glad I found this blog that confirms my suspects. I'm an adult woman, and I have a reaction on silver colored tageless labels on my Jockey's underwear very similar to described above. Thanks everyone for all the helpfull suggestions.

Organic also offenders?

I'm expecting my first child in 2 weeks. We registered for all organic clothing and layette, most of which is Gerber, with some Dana Wear and other brands mixed in.

The Gerber items all contain 'tagless' imprints. Does anyone know if these use the same technology as the tagless imprints on their conventionally grown cotton items? It looks the same.

I don't want to even use these items if there is a potential for irritation. I have extremely sensitive skin myself, so I am trying to be extra-cautious about anything that will touch my baby.

Has anyone been reimbursed without actually using the clothing first? I'm hoping for a recall to be issued...

Just following up on my previous comments. I sent back all of my daughter's Carter's clothing, about one big trashbag's worth, and was reimbursed $229.50. This probably does cover the cost of the clothing but I felt it was inadequate to cover the pain and suffering, not to mention the mommy-guilt and hand-wringing over not knowing what the heck is causing the rash. The customer service person was very kind and helpful but she wasn't really forthcoming on what ingredients in their tags may be causing the rash. She even advised me to try the clothing again in the future to see if my daughter has outgrown her sensitivity. That rendered me a little speechless and all I could think was "no way, lady." I just submitted a Consumer Product Incident Report at the link posted here earlier. If anyone decides to do a class action suit, I'd be interested in knowing how I can participate. Thanks.

I had posted an entry earlier saying I had returned all the clothes and I also got about $200. Since then I have tried the new season of Carters onesies and my daughter has had no reaction. I think it is just the season that has the big white block on the tag. You will still find stores that sell the older season like Macy's and on sale at the Carter's stores (which I find weird) so beware.

Our 4 month old baby has had the same rash and our baby doc said it was probably ezcema. We'll stop using the tagless immediately. Thanks for posting all of your messages! We'll contact CPSC to file our case.

I just got sent this interesting article about Carter's tagless clothes.

www.zrecommends.com/detail/carters-responds-to-zrecs-inquiry

I used to sell screen printing supplies and set up screen printing shops in Maryland over a 5 year period. I also worked in a T-Shirt store where I ironed decals on T-Shirts for 4 summers...I attribute these exposures to my MCS issues. You must contact the mfgr of the clothing and request cloth tags. Children do not have the immune systems to deal w/the chemicals in these inks. You can simply contact a "screen print supplier" and receive the ingredients in the textile inks. It not only breaks down, but when you put it in the dryer, the fumes are toxic and there is a "residue" that remains in the dryer. Continue to seek cloth labels from Carter's, etc. as they need to understand the long-term health issues w/the absorption of these chemicals. There is power in MOTHERS!!

Same story--my little one is always scratching at her red, puffy sore on her back. We thought her hair was tickling her neck/upper back where in all actuality it was the tagless stamp irritating her.

This is a horrible way to do business, and Carter's should make it right. Carter's, formerly one of my favorite go-to stores for all things baby, is no longer part of our lives and we will not spend our dollars in that store. Might I add that in our situation the clothing in question was NOT part of the Fall 2007 line? Rather than avoiding bad press by glossing over this issue for the most part (send us all clothing and you will be reimbursed? Partial reimbursement is not okay!) in avoidance of bad press, Carter's looks guilty and unethical. While they provide cute clothing at a sensible price point, it is not worth oozing wounds on my child's lovely (and formerly) unblemished skin.

The blogging community, especially parenting blogs, are powerful and influence many, many consumers today. Do your part by spreading this news. Carter's needs to make this one right; it is unacceptable to hurt children.

My daughter who is 17 months old has constantly had a rash on the back of her neck but I could never figure out what was the cause. I noticed new rash this evening and then I saw a report on the news (KNBC) about carter's tagless shirts possibly causing the problem. I checked the shirt my daughter wore today and it was a cherokee brand shirt with a large tagless label (just about the size of her rash). Now it all makes sense. I spent so much time wondering if it was a reaction to her food but it corresponds to the tagless shirts.

My daughter who is 17 months old has constantly had a rash on the back of her neck but I could never figure out what was the cause. I noticed new rash this evening and then I saw a report on the news (KNBC) about carter's tagless shirts possibly causing the problem. I checked the shirt my daughter wore today and it was a cherokee brand shirt with a large tagless label (just about the size of her rash). Now it all makes sense. I spent so much time wondering if it was a reaction to her food but it corresponds to the tagless shirts.

I was just made aware of the Carters tagless clothes causing rashes on the back of babies. My 11 month old daughter has had a mysterious rash on her back for a few weeks now and we had no idea what it was from until now. I am not sure what shirt exactly caused the rash but almost all of her clothing is Carters and have the tagless stamp on them.

The story on LA local news:

video.knbc.com/player/?id=716662

My boy (2 years)is the latest victim of these tagless shirts from Carter's. Thanks to all who came forward and spread the word. I had no idea that the rash could have been caused by his jammies......I would be happy to do anything to stop Carter's from selling these products

Hi,
This is my first time doing this. I just HAD to comment. I have a 10 month old son and when he was about 4 months old he developed a rash on his back. I thought it was like a diaper type rash from the back of his shirts getting wet when his bottle would leak. It wasn't clearing up and long story short we found it was an allergic reaction to the Carter's tags. He was given a cream that cleared it up within two days and we put surgical tape over the labels. I contacted Carter's and they offered to have us send back the clothing for a refund. They told us there was NOT a connection to the clothes being made in China and they knew of a handful of children reacting, but it was because of the sensitivity of the skin. My son also has very sensitive skin so I didn't think twice and just kept putting tape on the labels that was the end. Here I am today and see a news story about an allergic reaction Carter's tagless labels and as I am watching it is my son's story exactly. I tried to get the story on the internet so my husband can see and found this link. I am soo glad my son is not the only one.

I would like to share my bad experience with Gerber tagless onesie 0-3 months (MADE IN CHINA). I was dressing up my baby in Gerber Tagless onesies since last 4 weeks & today I was shocked to find that the stamp ink / screen-print material was stuck on my baby's back (just below the neck). It was really shocking for me, realizing how sensitive the skin of 6 weeks old baby is. I had to rub hard on my baby's back to remove whatever was stuck there from the tagless screen-print. And I was wondering how come such a famous brand can release their clothing materials, that also for such young babies without sufficient lab-tests. I was more surprised realizing in particular that a US based company can be so lax, who claim to be most consumer-friendly, safety oriented et al (I am an Indian).

Anyway, I was just searching in google if anyone else has experienced such an issue with Gerber tagless onesie & I chanced to read this blog. So sharing my experience with you. I hope someone can take it up to the authorities & force them to take corrective action on this.

I recently purchased two Bra-llelujah! Spanx bras and after wearing them I have the most horrible rash EXACTLY where the tagless tag is on the backs of the bras. My rash matches up almost word per word of the tag. It's very angry looking, and I never have skin reactions. I hope it's not some sort of Chinese chemical. It does say it's made in China. The worst part...they cost $62 each!!! Please beware before buying these. Believe it or not, I originally bought them for comfort!

I found out about Carter's Tagless mid-week of last week while catching my local news in the evening. I have a 5 month old son who's whole wardrobe is all by Carter's tagless and also has the same red rash on his upper back where this tagless white stamp lied as everyone else mentioned above me. His red rash started around the time he was 4 months old though. The Carter's tagless my son wore between Newborn to 3 months seem like there were no reaction to these rashes. The 6 months old long sleeve as well as short sleeved onesis by Carter's tagless seem to of caused my son to break out with his rash. I have other brands that has the tag intact and my son has no reaction to them whatsoever. As for tossing out the Carter's tagless I simply make it inside out, have my son wear it and he's fine. As for his existing red rash it's currently healing by itself, but to keep it moist I put some Aveeno body lotion to keep his skin from drying out.

I am relieved to find this blog and other mothers who have experienced issues with the tagless clothing. Our baby daughter began suffering from severe redness on her back at just 6 weeks old and it eventually led to her being hospitalized at 3 mos. We just discovered last month after reading many blogs with some including pictures, that the back wound of our baby was a chemical burn from exclusively wearing Carters clothes! This was later diagnosed and confirmed with her pediatrician once he saw our internet research and the pictures along with the ones the pediatrician took. We have notified Carters and even spoke to Carters insurance company (all without a satisfactory response). They told us there are no chemicals in these tagless imprints, but we know there must be if babies are having a reaction. Out of frustration with Carters, we felt compelled to tell as many folks as we can about our experience and chronicled it in our blog of our baby.

Good luck to all in your own quest to keep our children safe. We have switched to all cotton and organic material type clothes.

I justs skimmed the above entries quickly, but has anyone contacted Consumer Reports or checked through recent issues? Their monthly magazine reaches a lot of people.

FINALLY! Our complaints worked. See release below. I also heard that CNN ran a story about this issue this weekend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2008
Release #09-023

Firm's Hotline: (888) 282-4674
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

CPSC and Carter's Advise Parents of Rashes Associated with Heat Transferred, or "Tag-less," Labels

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Carter's, Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, are advising parents and caregivers that they have received reports that a small percentage of babies and infants have developed rashes on the upper back after wearing Carter's clothing with heat-transferred, or "tag-less," labels.

This advisory applies to Carter's Fall 2007 product line. The Fall 2007 line utilizes a label on the inside back of the garment that has a raised surface with a solid, rather than a stenciled, background. This advisory does not apply to previous and current product lines, which utilize labels with stenciled backgrounds.

The garments, which were made in various countries, were sold at Carter's own retail stores and at department and national chain stores.

If your child develops a rash on the upper back after wearing garments that have a "tag-less" label with a solid background, you should stop using these garments. If the rash persists or worsens, you should contact your pediatrician. For additional information, visit Carter's website at www.carters.com/corporate/tagless_message.aspx, contact Carter's toll free at 1-888-282-4674 or by email at contactus@carters.com

To see this release on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the products involved in this advisory, please go to: www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09023.html

TAGLESS CLOTHING - SPANX BRAS

I am writing this to address the 2 women who wrote about the Spanx Bra-llelujah bras. I too have a rash that is exactly on the same spot where the black ink marking is. I have had the rash for 4 months now because I did not stop wearing the bra. I did not make the connection of the tagless marking and the spot of my rash until about a month ago. I have been seeing a dermatologist and even showed her the bra but she tells me she doesn't think this is what caused my rash which she diagnosed as SUBACUTE SPONGIOTIC DERMATITIS. She has given me both an injection (INTERLESIONAL KENALOG) and ointment form (0.1%)of TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE. The redness and swelling has gone down but it never has gone 100% away, I still get red bumps on that same spot. Now, I'm pretty convinced that the bra is the culprit because of what I've read here. I will definitely stop using the bra and see what happens. For the 2 women who wrote here, what happened when you stopped using your Spanx bras?

Also, I'd like to share the e-mail response I got from Spanx when I e-mailed them about their tagless marking. Here's their response:
**************************************************************
"We have confirmed with the manufacturer of our heat
transfer that the product has been tested and certified for
no harmful ingredients and for safe use against the skin.
We have also confirmed that the heat transfer does not
contain any type of metal (including lead), Latex or PVC."

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Katelyn

Katelyn Williams * SPANX, Inc.
3391 Peachtree Road * Suite 300 * Atlanta * Georgia * 30326

404.321.1608x224; * 678.904.2824 (direct) * 678.500.1300 (fax)

I've never had an allergic reaction to anything, and i too had a bad rash exactly where the ink was in the tagless Spanx Bra-llelujah bra. It's been over a month since i returned it (got my money back) at Nordstrom, but the itching it still there, and my skin is still rough. Very weird. I just emailed Spanx to let them know.

I am writing regarding the SPANX Bra-llelujah! Full Coverage Front-Close bra. After wearing it approximately 2-3 times, I also developed a severe rash on my back where the tagless label is printed. I returned the bra to Bare Necessities, and I have sent an email to SPANX regarding the problem. The rash hasn't gone away yet, but I only stopped wearing the bra about a week ago. I will post an update if I hear back from SPANX.

This post is for the laies who reported a rash from SPANX.

I, too broke out in a terrible rash after wearing two different SPANX products that I purchased from the SPANX website. The rash was only on the spots of my back where the tagless ink was and it took me months of going to several doctors and dermatologists to figure out what was causing it. It seems like something needs to be done about this. Any thoughts?

My son lorenzo has had a "rash" since he was 2 months old. I had no idea what is was and being a first time mother i freaked out. I continued to freak out after putting on excema creams and hydrocortizones...for 9 more months. Also there were several arguments with other concerned family members that i wasnt doing something right. I was being blamed for this "rash" that was being caused by the negligence of a money grubbing company. Now my son has a scar on his back. So this recall came a little too late for us. I would definately be interested in a law suit. ill be the first to jump on.

I noticed there is a legal suit against Victoria's Secret regarding a woman who got a rash from wearing one of their bras. I think I saw it on CNN. Anyway, it said that in a test they found formeldahyde. I am not sure if that is the substance that is causing the rashes w/ the other tagless tags but since no one is telling us what else it could be it is something to think about

Following up regarding the issue with the Bra-llelujah bra, I received the following response from SPANX:

Evening Theresa,

We have confirmed with the manufacturer of our heat transfer that the product has been tested and certified for no harmful ingredients and for safe use against the skin. We have also confirmed that the heat transfer does not contain any type of metal (including lead), Latex or PVC.

Due to the issues you have had with the product, and as a token of our goodwill, we would like to send a refund equal to the suggested retail price for the Bra-llelujah! Front Closure Bras. We would also like to send a pre-paid return label and package so you can send your original purchase back to us so we can examine it further.

Please feel free to contact me at this email with the following:

1. The mailing address where you would like your return
sent

2. Any other SPANX products you might be interested in
trying at no charge. All of our hosiery products, including
tights, have a non-printed label/tag.

Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you, and we hope that you choose Spanx again in the future.

Regards,
Katelyn

Katelyn Williams * SPANX, Inc.

I, too, had an allergic reaction to the tagless tag on the Spanx bra. After contacting Spanx's customer service over the weekend they had someone from their corporate office contact me. They stated that a few other people had experienced the same problem and that they would like to do some testing on the products that I had purchased. They are sending prepaid FedEx packaging for me to return the bras to them, are sending a check to me for the cost of my bras (including sales tax) and will send me a "free" pair of tights. They said that they would be back in touch with the results of the product testing. I want to know what caused my allergic reaction.

www.zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/09/tagless-tees-suddenly-causing-chemical.html



I came across the link above and thought it contained some information that you would be interested in.

I am horrified by what I have been reading!!! Why hasn't any manufacturer done anything about this before now? I contacted Carter's back towards the beginning of this year and was assured that it was a rare allergic reaction, and once we switched to normal tagged clothing, everything slowly got better. And back in February I didn't find anything about anyone experiencing a reaction from tagless clothes, so I thought it really was "rare". Today I stumbled across this site that I had previously posted on and I had forgotten that I had posted my previous comment. It makes me want to cry hearing all of the suffering that has gone on. I am going to write all the companies that I can find to request the change back to "normal" tags and I encourage everyone else to do the same. If we all join together to buy only "normal" tagged clothes for our infants and us, maybe the manufacturers will get the hint!!

I also has a skin reaction to the tagless tag imprinted on my Spanx Bra-llelujah bra. I contacted the company via email and received this immediate reply-
-------------------------------------------------------------
We have confirmed with the manufacturer of our heat
transfer that the product has been tested and certified for
no harmful ingredients and for safe use against the skin.
We have also confirmed that the heat transfer does not
contain any type of metal (including lead), Latex or PVC.

Due to the issues you have had with the product, and as a
token of our goodwill, we would like to send a refund equal
to the suggested retail price for the Bra-llelujah! Front
Closure Bras. We would also like to send a pre-paid return
label and package so you can send your original purchase
back to us so we can examine it further.
--------------------------------------------------------------
If anyone has the same issue, please email Katelyn Williams at
kwilliams@spanx.com or phone her at 678-904-2824.

I had reported earlier that my daughter reacted to the Fall 2007 Carters tagless labels. I put her in a new Fall 2008 outfit with the new label design and she had the same reaction with a blistery rash on her neck. Please continue to report to them any rashes your kids may be having as this is clearly not a "design" issue, but an ingredient or manufacturing issue. They said they have not had any complaints from the new design label. Thanks, Joy

Joy,

My daughter also had a reaction to the 2008 line and I called Carter's several months ago and they told me the same thing about there not being other complaints w/ their 2008 clothing. I have also been on the blog, ZReccomends where there were several other people whose children had reactions to the 2008 line and received the same response from Carter's about there not being any other complaints. So I called and spoke to a manager about their misrepresenting the amount of complaints to consumers. She apologized but my complaint clearly had little effect on how honest a company Carter's is if they are continuing to feed consumers that line. It is a shame that they have not recalled their products and a sad testament as to how little respect they have for us moms and especially the babies that they continue to be fine w/ torturing. I

I purchased the Spanx Brallelujah right when it came out and noticed that it gave me a rash. i washed it thunking that would help, but every time I wore it i go the same rash. i looked online but i found no info ergarding this issue. I recently pit the bra on again and I got the rash again. I just emailed the company so I'm waiting to see what happens. i never had a reaction to clothing before in my life so I was very happy to hear other women with the same issue.

Are there any other parents that have had problems (or that have not had problems)with the Carter's 2008 line? For that matter, are there any parents that have had any good or bad luck with any other types of tagless clothing? I've been covering up all my daughter's tagless tags for the last year. I started with cloth tape, but found hypafix to be much softer (I got the hypafix online at www.qualitymedicalsupplies.com). After the rash my baby got from Carter's, I'm afraid to put any tagless clothing on her. It would be nice to know which lines are (relatively) safe so we could possibly have one less thing to worry about.

I found your blog while looking for information on skin rashes caused by Jockey tagless labels in their t-shirts. My 63-year-old husband is having exactly the same reaction as the infants & bra wearers described. I have put iron-on fabric over the labels to shield his skin; it lasts through many washings, but I'd much prefer the old-fashioned cloth labels.

We also took are son to the doctor about a small rash on his back when he was 9 months old. The doctor told us it was eczema. The rash turned into a quarter size, oozing, blister on his back where his gerber onesies tagless stamp is on his shirt. He is now 13 months old and we just have realized what was causing the blister. I am very upset that my son is going through this. I have been reading all the blogs and am interested in a class action lawsuit.

I also emailed Gerbers clothing manufacture department and got no response. Has anyone contacted Gerber? If so who did you call? and what number did you call? I have pictures of my

At s4.5 month old my son also developed an allergy to the stamp that appears like a burn on the back of his neck where the Gerber logo is on his pjs and onesies. Other spots also crept up on his torso. Once we switched to another brand and applied hydrocortizone the areas they went away only to reappear with repeat exposure to Gerber clothing. We've stopped using all Gerber clothing products due to this issue. So far we've not had any problem with Carter baby clothing (knock on wood).

Just googled "rash related to Gerber tagless onesies" and found this sight. My husband, 9 month old and I were in the emergency room at 6a.m. because my son was repeatedly jerking his head back and from side to side and wouldn't stop. I thought he was having a seizure (which he's never had before) and while at the hospital ( where he seemed back to himself) I discovered the rash between his shoulder blades where the ink from his onesie touches his skin. I've noticed this rash before, but it was milder and I wasn't concerned. He's been consistently wearing gerber onesies for a while now, and now that I hear other's experiences, I'm certain this is the problem. I'm going to contact Gerber....maybe if enough people complain they'll stop using this ink.

Wow Cathy! I had a similar reaction to my child's rash. I too didn't realize what was causing the rash for a while and I felt so bad when I finally realized that the nice, clean Gerber onesies I kept putting on her were the problem! I complained to both Carter's and Gerber over a year ago and they still have not resolved the problem! Even though I don't use those tags on my daughter anymore she still occasionally scratches her back and has some scarring where the tags used to go. I am sorry to hear that your baby boy has suffered so needlessly since Gerber should have fixed those tags by now! What is wrong with this company? If you read earlier in this blog you will find someone who is producing a lawsuit against the companies. I have not joined the lawsuit but perhaps we need to to get these companies to change. When you call Gerber's make sure they pay for your hospital visit too. They didn't pay for our visit to the doctor but I wish I had at least pursued that. Good luck and I hope your son is better soon!

I too have noticed a rash forming whenever I wear Jockey brand tagless panties. The rash appears directly at the base of my spine wear the tagless label contacts my skin. I have just emailed Jockey customer service and will let you know of the result.

My 5 months old baby had a rash from Circo onesies. I can't believe these products are still out there for any baby to have a hard time and drive mom crazy.

Debra - have you ever look into this more? I've read lots of blog entries around the tagless clothing causing burns but most are from the end of last year. Now almost a year later have the fixed the problem yet? I am due this coming January and already have some tagless clothes including some from Carters and I'm a bit worried.

I must admit even as I write this I am trying to think of a good way to prevent this from ever being an issue - maybe sewing a flannel flap over the tag area. hmm..

Thanks

To SZ MASSACHUSETTS,
When my son was diagnosed with the cause of his rash, the doctor gave us surgical tape to put over the tags. You can check with Target or drugstore for that. It would be with the band aids and stuff. Just make sure it's the cloth type and not adhesive (for comfort). If you can't find it, just ask one of the nurses taking care of you after delivery :) I hope this helps you and good luck!!

Thank you K KENNEDY, And the tape doesn't peal or get nasty in the wash? That does seem like an inexpensive solution.

To SZ MASSACHUSETTS
The tape will "peel up" in the wash, but you just take it off and put more. Our roll of tape is 360 inches long and I only use enough to cover the label which is about 1 1/2 inches long to give you an idea. And even though my son has not had a problem with the other labels mentioned in the blogs above, you can put tape on everything just to make sure there's no reaction. It's still cheaper and easier than trying to sew anything over the labels :)

Hi Everyone

I noticed a few people commenting that they were shocked that a company that is so concerned about children's well-being like Gerbers would use such nasty tags. I wanted to comment that Gerbers and most other conventional brands - even those that seem concerned about health - are really only concerned about profits. They use lots of known irritants in their products. Because the MAJORITY of people are not very reactive, they feel that they are OK to use even though they are known to cause problems. For example - look at the ingredients in gerbers and other skin-care products (even Ivory), and most contain fragrance (or perfum). This is the most common cause of problems both with rashes AND with athsma, yet they persist in using it. If I get even a single drop of baby wash or any of many other 'sensitive skin' products on my hand, even if I thoroughly wash it off right away, I get a nasty, oozing rash pretty soon. Since I have only been using simple, all-natural products my hands are fine. I am really enjoying having skin on my hands again! If you or your child is reacting to tags on clothing, it may be an indication of extra-sensitive skin or even chemical sensitivities. You might want to explore this site further to learn more about living with sensitivities and simple things that you can do to stay safe!

Thank you for all the information on the tagless-t rash. I purchased sever Circo brand tops from Target for my 7 year old daughter and she has been getting a rash on the back of the neck. I had no idea there was a problem until now. I will try the surgical tape.