# Carters Clothing and Chemical Burns



## renee143 (May 1, 2008)

Hey Moms,

Just an FYI-

If you don't know about the Carters recall, you can read detail HERE. In short, the ink used to print the labels in Carters fall 2007 line has been found to cause chemical burns on babies. In response, Carters is allowing customers to return any clothing with the bad label for a full refund. The bad label is a block of ink, about postage stamp sized, with all the info contained in the box. I have over 20 items from this line, which I am returning.

If you have items to return, call 1-888-782-9548. They will send you a mailer. They asked me if the clothing had affected my child, which it hadn't...but I argued that there was no guarantee it wouldn't burn future kids. There's no sense in me hanging on to this stuff only to find I can't use it again, and quite frankly, I don't want to find out the hard way that it burns my baby.

Renee


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Moving to Family Safety


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## MamaBug (Jun 13, 2003)

Thanks for this, my dd has many of these outfits and I am going to call the number tomorrow. WOw!


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

Thanks! We actually don't have a lot of Carters stuff but my kids pj's were like this. I called and left a message (they're closed) so hopefully they'll call me back.


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## medaroge (Dec 21, 2004)

oh my gosh, I have never heard of something like this happening! off to check clothing....


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## medaroge (Dec 21, 2004)

the photo on the z site shows babygap as well as carters, should we be worried about all tagless clothing?


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## dogmom327 (Apr 19, 2007)

Lovely. DS has a ton of Carter's stuff since I get great deals at the outlet store.


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

Thank you so much for this info. Guess what I will be working on tomorrow?


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## renee143 (May 1, 2008)

i should mention that this is not an official recall...you have to go to them, they aren't announcing it.


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

Great. We have a lot of stuff from Carters.

(sigh)


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## GreenFlower (Aug 16, 2007)

O.k., baby #2 is due in a couple months. I had a baby shower in the spring and got a bunch of these clothes (the 2007 line). Due to nesting, I've removed tags and laundered everything. I don't have receipts or tags (they were all gifts and didn't come with receipts anyway). Will they still take the clothes back and give some sort of refund or credit so I can get clothes to replace that aren't tagless?


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## Elecampane (Mar 12, 2008)

Thanks so much for posting this...DD has been complaining of a "pimple" on the back of her neck that is roughly where the tags would touch her skin. I wonder if this could be the cause. It's like a scab, not really a pimple, although that is what she is calling it. I would say that 98% of her clothes are Carter's (we get 'em cheap at Costco and my family is big on gifts from the Carter's outlet). Ugh. Going to call and see what they say...


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## GreenFlower (Aug 16, 2007)

nevermind. I called the company and the lady was very nice and helpful. Got everything taken care of!


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## Ruthie's momma (May 2, 2008)

I just finished with a rep. She was very helpful and is mailing me a postage paid envelope for any returns for a full refund. Thanks again for the original posting!


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Thank you for posting this. I'm sooo bummed to hear this, though. We've been so good about avoiding phtlalates and here they are again.

No reaction here, but we will be covering the tagless stamps with fabric tape from now on and not buying any more.


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## LoveLife (Feb 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GreenFlower* 
O.k., baby #2 is due in a couple months. I had a baby shower in the spring and got a bunch of these clothes (the 2007 line). Due to nesting, I've removed tags and laundered everything. I don't have receipts or tags (they were all gifts and didn't come with receipts anyway). Will they still take the clothes back and give some sort of refund or credit so I can get clothes to replace that aren't tagless?


Quote:


Originally Posted by *GreenFlower* 
nevermind. I called the company and the lady was very nice and helpful. Got everything taken care of!

*Would you mind sharing what the customer service rep said and what you are doing?*

I'm in the same predicament- due w/ #1 in Oct and washed all the gifts/clothing given to me. Most of which is Carter's. THANKS!


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## beadmama (Nov 3, 2007)

So what should I do about the clothes she has grown out of but am keeping for the next baby? Some are stained do I still return these?

I have also cut the bottoms off of onesies to make them into T-Shirts so she can wear them longer do I return those also?


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## Mandala126 (Aug 28, 2007)

I'm glad you mamas got nice reaction from the reps because I just called and she wasn't friendly at all, said there is NO recall and it was just small amount of babies that were affected. She said there is no chemical burn, just irritation due to the size of the label. She couldn't help me.


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## NorthernPixie (Dec 14, 2007)

I just called. I was careful to say that my daughter had some sort of irritation in the label location, and that I was concerned enough to call. I asked for a picture of the label in question to make sure I was sending in the right stuff and she sent me to the zrecommends site as mentioned in the OP. She asked me where I'd heard about it, and I said a friend told me. She was very nice and helpful but I was quite careful with how I phrased things. She's sending me two large mailing bags and told me if there was more than would fit, to cut off the label and put it all in a box.


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

I have a ton of hand me downs, purchased, garage saled Carter's stuff. How do I know if my clothes were made in 2007?


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

I called and were very helpful. Turns out that my kids pj's don't have the label that is effecting babies.


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## Justmee (Jun 6, 2005)

Great my mother just brought ds a whole bunch of carter's things... and he did have a funky rash on the back of his neck last week. I didn't put 2 & 2 together though. I guess I'll have to call them and see if I can return the stuff from across the ocean


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

We put DD's jammies (not carter's but do have a tagless label) on inside out tonight. If you have stuff with no printing (made from the same stuff) on the outside, it works fine for underclothes/jammies.

I do think it's an allergy and not a chemical burn that happened to some kids. It's awful, but it is less scary to me.


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## TinyMama (Sep 4, 2007)

My DD was born in May 2007 and has had a rash on the back of her neck since she was a few weeks old. She always scratches there, so we thought it was just a habit when she got frustrated. Guess what it really was?







:

I'm calling now. I'm taking everything out of my bins full of clothing packed away for Hypothetical #2. I want my money back!!!


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## AndrewsMother (Jul 30, 2007)

DS has an awful area on the back of his neck that will not heal. I must call Carter's tomorrow.


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## True Blue (May 9, 2003)

So is it limited to the Fall 07 line or not? The rest have fairly large labels as well, the ones we have have a box around the whole number. I wonder if I should call.

Crap, now I know why people spend the money on Hanna Andersson...I think it's time we had less clothes but ones that are not toxic!!

What about other companies? Pretty much all the kids' clothes is tagless now.


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

For those of you who are calling, how can you identify the items from 2007 without experimenting on your kids? Is there a year code somewhere?


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## amandaleigh37 (Jul 13, 2006)

Quote:

For those of you who are calling, how can you identify the items from 2007 without experimenting on your kids? Is there a year code somewhere?
I'm wondering this too...

anyone?


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

They said it was the label wherer *all* the information was in the white square.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

and ppl call ME crazy for only wanting organic clothing!


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

I hadn't paid too much attention to this, I wasn't buying new clothing this time and all DD's stuff is old enough to have real tags, but I was gifted a couple of Carters fleece sleepers with these. Arg! At least they still have the tags on and I can exchange them. They're so cute, it's a shame.









I do recall hearing that some people had problems even with organic clothing that has the tagless labels. I think you might still have to watch out.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

we just got a TON of Carter's stuff yesterday. argh!!

no gift receipt. i dont want any of it.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paquerette* 
I hadn't paid too much attention to this, I wasn't buying new clothing this time and all DD's stuff is old enough to have real tags, but I was gifted a couple of Carters fleece sleepers with these. Arg! At least they still have the tags on and I can exchange them. They're so cute, it's a shame.









I do recall hearing that some people had problems even with organic clothing that has the tagless labels. I think you might still have to watch out.

The fleece sleepers have flame retardants, so we don't use them anyway... Those freak me out even more than phthalates.

The allergic reaction would be possible with any of the tagless labels, since they are all made out of basically the same stuff. I'm sure that the new block labels are more likely to since there's just a lot more ink.

It's like as hard as you try you can't get away from the bad stuff...


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## MommaCrystal (May 25, 2006)

Count my son in as one who had a reaction. UGH!


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

Can someone post a good, clear image of the labels to steer clear of? I buy almost all of my kids' clothes second hand, so I want to know what to look for.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

i took ALL of the Carters stuff back to BRU today and they gave me store credit for everything....regardless. that stuff still had the tags on them though.

im just not going to buy Carters. i never have anyway. but i will also just avoid the tagless stuff.


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## saysumthing (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow! I'm shocked. I'm quite positive that we were affected, too. Fortunately, my son has outgrown everything and we no longer are using anything problematic, but he had a rash RIGHT were the tag was for the longest time.

GRR. I'm afraid that nothing is safe anymore.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I just went through DS's clothes, and I have about 25 pieces with the white box tag. I am definitely calling them today to see if I can send them back. I had most of them packed away for future babies, but will not risk putting them on another kiddo. DS definitely has red rashes on the back of his neck regularly, so we will not be using any more of the tagless clothing if I can help it. I may get the fabric tape to use until I can weed them out, but I am so angry that this even happened!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I just called and talked to a super nice woman about DS's clothes. I told them that he had some irritation, but there was no way I could be positive that it was the square postage stamp tags. I also told her that I had been planning to save his clothes but didn't want to risk any more burns/irritation on a future baby and would like to send the clothes back.

She said they definitely wanted them back and is sending me the PPD envelopes to get a refund. I asked about the other Carter's tagless stamps, and she said that if those cause irritation, that I could send those back as well for a full refund.

She is also sending my little man a stuffed animal as an apology. I can't believe how great they were about it! To the pp who spoke with a customer service person who was difficult, I would call back and try to speak with someone else.

I was so sad going through his baby clothes last night and seeing how sweet some of the clothes are that are going back. At least they are responding to it as best they can when we call. Now if only they would issue an official recall.


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## NorthernPixie (Dec 14, 2007)

Look at the link in the OP for the ZRecommends site. The picture that comes up has a blue outfit in the middle with a solid tag with a '9' on it. If your label is like that (although the size of the outfit doesn't matter, just filled in solidly and those dimensions) then those are the clothes that they're refunding. Good luck!


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## zmom (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *True Blue* 
So is it limited to the Fall 07 line or not? The rest have fairly large labels as well, the ones we have have a box around the whole number. I wonder if I should call.

Crap, now I know why people spend the money on Hanna Andersson...I think it's time we had less clothes but ones that are not toxic!!

What about other companies? Pretty much all the kids' clothes is tagless now.

True Blue -

From the reports that we've received from our readers, the problem doesn't seem to be limited to Carters. So far, we've had reports that children have possibly reacted to Baby Gap, Circo, Gerber, and Carters tagless clothes though certainly Carters seems to be the brand with the most incidents. We're still trying to get answers from Carters on what exactly is in the tagless labels so we'll update as soon as we can.

We have also received a few reports from parents whose children have had reactions to clothes outside of the Fall 2007 line but the majority seem to be coming from that larger label.

HTH!

Best,

ZMom


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

The woman I spoke with said that if my son showed any reaction to any other Carter's clothing even with the other style tags that I could send them back for a refund. She said that the clothes that are returned are going to be tested at a lab. Not sure exactly what that means, but she was super nice.

Oh, and I received my mailers today! She FedEx'd them overnight and I sent them out today. Super speedy! She sent DS a super cute teddy bear too. I am happy with their response so far.


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## Nate'sMama (Jul 21, 2007)

My son frequently has some red bumps and scratches on the back of his neck. I actually chaulked it up to tags, not tagless! He has plenty of those tagless ones. I called and they were very nice. I'll be sending back the baby's stuff too even the stuff she never used! Like someone else said I'm not going to try it out on her! I'm not putting any of the stuff back on to figure out which tags(less) they are. It's all going back!


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## mimid (Dec 29, 2004)

DD1 has a nice little patch of red bumps. I just figured it was tag irritation--from regular tags. Adding something else to my Monday to-do list.


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## dadinblue (Jun 17, 2007)

so is it a chemical reaction (burn) or a skin reaction to the plastic-printed tag rubbing on sensitive skin?

If your baby has a postage-stamp sized block of red/irritated/crusty skin right where the tag is, THAT is a chemical burn. Hard to miss, but equally hard to figure out how it's happening. Wash the clothing to remove any residue from the stamping process. Some skin needs unimpeded airflow to breathe and gets irritated when that doesn't happen (due to a bandaid or clothing tag).

If your baby has minor redness, a pimple or heat rash in the area, that's a skin reaction and it's not Carter's fault. Your kid's skin just doesn't agree with tagless clothing. Buy different suff, but don't blame Carter's.

Returning clothing because it *might* cause an issue for your baby is a waste and a fraudulent use of Carter's consumer protection policies. Returning old clothing that you don't use anymore, washed a zillion times, is stained or wrecked... that's just wrong. Your baby wore those clothes and didn't have any issues... why return it now?


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## kalamos23 (Apr 11, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dadinblue* 
Returning clothing because it *might* cause an issue for your baby is a waste and a fraudulent use of Carter's consumer protection policies.

Isn't it much the same as if you brought a toy back that was recalled because it a piece *might* break off and present a choking hazard? Most recalls are not done with the clause that it has to have happened to you personally to be able to participate - the recall is done so that it takes potentially dangerous items off the market and/or fixes them. A lot of these moms save clothes for the next baby, myself included, and there is no way of knowing if the clothes will affect the next child. Just saying.


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## dadinblue (Jun 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kalamos23* 
Isn't it much the same as if you brought a toy back that was recalled because it a piece *might* break off and present a choking hazard? Most recalls are not done with the clause that it has to have happened to you personally to be able to participate - the recall is done so that it takes potentially dangerous items off the market and/or fixes them. A lot of these moms save clothes for the next baby, myself included, and there is no way of knowing if the clothes will affect the next child. Just saying.

No, not the same at all.

A choking hazard could kill your kid -- a tag reaction likely won't (the 1 in a trillion kid who is deathly allergic to everything excepted...).

Choking hazards become mandatory recalls. From the OP, this isn't a mandatory recall, it's Carter's trying to keep people happy. If this were to become a mandatory recall, as in the government required Carters to recall all tagless clothing, then I would agree with returning the almost-worn-out clothing.

As it is, if one child got a few months of wear out of a $6 shirt from Carters, I still consider it wrong to return it to Carter's for their full refund. $1-2 maybe... but it's worn, washed and didn't cause your kid any issues. To claim otherwise would be fraudulent.

It's an integrity issue.


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## Nate'sMama (Jul 21, 2007)

This is not my chance to return a bunch of clothes to get money back like I won the lottery. I am retuning 6 onesies that I know he had a reaction to and 6 onesies that she _might_.

I also didn't expect to get a full refund for my clothes. AND also hope they can figure out what's going on. Perhaps my clothes will help them do that.

Had I realized what was causing the burn/ irritation at the time I would have returned them to the store. Is that a fraudulent use of their return policy?

I don't think it is any reflection of my integrity to return clothes that caused my DS harm or might cause my DD harm. You're right he didn't choke or lose an eye, but it hurt him enough to tell me about it. So I will get rid of them. Yes I could just throw them out, but Carter's will take them back so why not.


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

Can I also add to this debate the fact that they are testing all the tags that are returned because a child DID have a reaction? My child DID have a reaction, and it was an allergic one. He had a terrible rash and couldn't sleep more than twenty or thirty minutes without squirming and fussing and he SCREAMED in the car. He ended up in Urgent Care and was given Allegra (Benadryl was doing nothing) and within two hours it was 90% gone. I didn't know WHY this rash all over his upper middle back was there, didn't connect it to a brand new pack of onesies from the outlet. He would get the rash back, what seemed like randomly, and I'd give a dose of Allegra and it'd be gone.

When he grew out of the onesies and I put them away, the rash ceased. So for the PP who is so sure that anyone sending them back is looking for a refund on cheap clothes... You might be wrong. Trust me, I certainly don't need a 12 dollar check from Carter's. They told ME they wanted to test them and I don't want such an item in our bin of hand-me-downs and clothes to save for our next baby. Or even to go on to another baby via Goodwill or something.


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## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

well if your child had a reaction then you are not who dadinblue is talking about. Those people should return the clothes. People like me, who did not have an issue, should not.
It's a shame this is happening to the kids. I hope in the future they get this figured out.


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## cherimoya (Mar 23, 2008)

My child had a reaction and because not all of her clothes were Carter's it came & went and I did not figure out that it was from the Carter's stuff. I tried all sorts of other things (like make sure her clothes were washed in expensive non-allergenic soap etc); I remember even telling the Ped about it and she told me it was probably eczema but she wasn't sure. It makes me mad that I couldn't figure it out. It makes me mad that I wasn't contacted (I'm on their mailing list) or that there was no recall...when did they find out about this? I would have returned or thrown out all her Carter's stuff asap! So yeah, I sent all of her old clothes to them. Why do they not test before selling? How else are you going to change a company's standards? IMO you need to hurt their bottom line for them to REALLY take notice. How do I know that this toxic stuff didn't get into her system, does it have long term effects? How can they know? Not happy!


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

I think the PP brings up an interesting point. However, why should I use my child as a guinea pig for Carter's testing? I specifically buy Carter's because of their quality and durability, but I don't think it's fair for the company to NOT take back clothes that are defective. If nothing else, if they do not act, it will damage the reputation of the brand irreversably.


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## SleeplessMommy (Jul 16, 2005)

Picture of the rash here ...

http://www.scienceforsale.com/2008/0...m-carters.html
http://www.scienceforsale.com/2008/0...n-carters.html


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cherimoya* 
My child had a reaction and because not all of her clothes were Carter's it came & went and I did not figure out that it was from the Carter's stuff. I tried all sorts of other things (like make sure her clothes were washed in expensive non-allergenic soap etc); I remember even telling the Ped about it and she told me it was probably eczema but she wasn't sure. It makes me mad that I couldn't figure it out. It makes me mad that I wasn't contacted (I'm on their mailing list) or that there was no recall...when did they find out about this? I would have returned or thrown out all her Carter's stuff asap! So yeah, I sent all of her old clothes to them. Why do they not test before selling? How else are you going to change a company's standards? IMO you need to hurt their bottom line for them to REALLY take notice. How do I know that this toxic stuff didn't get into her system, does it have long term effects? How can they know? Not happy!

I did the same thing, took foods out of his diet, changed detergent, etc... but it was so odd that it was only on his upper back! It all makes sense now.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

For what it's worth, even if there's no rash, skin is a main transmission point for phthalates in general. They are used in lots of lotions, shampoos, etc...

I'm so bothered by this whole issue.


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## MyZoeJane (Aug 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dadinblue* 
No, not the same at all.

A choking hazard could kill your kid -- a tag reaction likely won't (the 1 in a trillion kid who is deathly allergic to everything excepted...).

Choking hazards become mandatory recalls. From the OP, this isn't a mandatory recall, it's Carter's trying to keep people happy. If this were to become a mandatory recall, as in the government required Carters to recall all tagless clothing, then I would agree with returning the almost-worn-out clothing.

As it is, if one child got a few months of wear out of a $6 shirt from Carters, I still consider it wrong to return it to Carter's for their full refund. $1-2 maybe... but it's worn, washed and didn't cause your kid any issues. To claim otherwise would be fraudulent.

It's an integrity issue.


I completely agree. My DD has a bunch of Carter's stuff but I would never think of returning it after she's worn it successfully for over a year now. I would feel like I was stealing if I sent in the stuff she's outgrown just to get the full value back. Sounds to me like they already have PLENTY of clothing coming back to "test." I will use it as cleaning rags now.

I am SHOCKED to see how many of you have children who have suffered from the tags. I wonder what the percentage is? If it's as high in the "real world" as it is here, I can't imagine why it hasn't been more publicized? I guess it's possible that all it needs is time...

I do hope that all of you who have little ones who suffered from their clothing are better now that you've found the cause!


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

well, i never buy Carters. but we were gift MANY outfits last week and i reteurned them ALL b/c i am not going to use my kids for experimental purposes. I dont like Carter's clothing anyway (yeh, it was cute stuff but my kids have sensitive skin) so it wasnt too hard to return it for me.

and i will make sure not to get any Carter's clothing in the future.

I think this issue should be advertised by Carters. just reading this thread, there are many kids who had reactions and whose moms went through alot trying to figure it all out.

i think thats an integrity issue for Carters.


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## MyZoeJane (Aug 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PassionateWriter* 
well, i never buy Carters. but we were gift MANY outfits last week and i reteurned them ALL b/c i am not going to use my kids for experimental purposes. I dont like Carter's clothing anyway (yeh, it was cute stuff but my kids have sensitive skin) so it wasnt too hard to return it for me.

and i will make sure not to get any Carter's clothing in the future.

I think this issue should be advertised by Carters. just reading this thread, there are many kids who had reactions and whose moms went through alot trying to figure it all out.

i think thats an integrity issue for Carters.

Sheesh! DEFINATELY return the dang things if you just got them! I wouldn't knowingly use my kid as a test subject, either! I hope you're able to use the money to find some more cute things! I'm a huge fan of Babystyle, myself. Their cotton is SOOOOO soft and less expensive than Hanna Andersson!


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MyZoeJane* 
I completely agree. My DD has a bunch of Carter's stuff but I would never think of returning it after she's worn it successfully for over a year now. I would feel like I was stealing if I sent in the stuff she's outgrown just to get the full value back. Sounds to me like they already have PLENTY of clothing coming back to "test." I will use it as cleaning rags now.

I am SHOCKED to see how many of you have children who have suffered from the tags. I wonder what the percentage is? If it's as high in the "real world" as it is here, I can't imagine why it hasn't been more publicized? I guess it's possible that all it needs is time...

I do hope that all of you who have little ones who suffered from their clothing are better now that you've found the cause!

maybe in the "real" world there are moms who just sort of don't care about the kids' rash? i've seen diaper rashes on babies in changing rooms like target, etc and been SHOCKED that the moms don't seem to think much of it. I would have had my kid at the ped in a minute.

MDC moms are, IMO, the most observant, aware and concerned moms I've met. We all worry about rashes because we worry about chemicals and allergies. Lots of moms are like "if they use it in a product, i'm sure it's fine"....


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## MyZoeJane (Aug 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gretelmom* 
maybe in the "real" world there are moms who just sort of don't care about the kids' rash? i've seen diaper rashes on babies in changing rooms like target, etc and been SHOCKED that the moms don't seem to think much of it. I would have had my kid at the ped in a minute.

MDC moms are, IMO, the most observant, aware and concerned moms I've met. We all worry about rashes because we worry about chemicals and allergies. Lots of moms are like "if they use it in a product, i'm sure it's fine"....

Believe me, I certainly don't mean to minimize the degree to which most MDC moms will scrutinize every aspect of their child's wellbeing. I mean no disrespect, and I certainly admire you for being so devoted to making sure every detail of your child's life is the very best it can be. I'm sure your ped appreciates it, too! LOL I think I've done the same, mostly... but I do it without all the worrying that you mentioned.

I AM curious how you can see a diaper rash on a child at Target and assume that the mother doesn't think anything of it, though? Is it because she's not fretting and worrying out loud so you can hear her? Mighty presumptive of you, don't you think? My poor DD suffered from thrush rashes several times and I got some weird stares from folks who wondered why her butt was purple. I wonder if I should have been wearing a t shirt that read "It's gentian violet, dummy" so those who assumed the worst would know?

But to stick to the topic at hand... my observation was simply intended to provoke some thought about why this hasn't made the news, or why Carter's hasn't publicized it more? Recalls are an interesting topic to me. I sometimes can't help but wonder how companies stay in business when they face lawsuits that pertain to situations that seem to me to be little more than flukes, you know? (I am not saying that the Carter's tags were a fluke, it seems like there's enough people here on MDC alone to warrant an investigation!) But if one child gets their finger stuck in something by some freak accident, it costs a company millions. Obviously, lead paint and chemical burns are a different story...

I guess I shouldn't feel bad for the companies, though, should I? I suppose that is all built into their bottom line and the cost of the toys is a reflection of the cost of "doing business"... and that business includes giving money to customers who "worry" to the nth degree. I pay more for our toys so the company can cover their bums when Suzie Q sues Mattell because Freddie Q got his big toe stuck in the play vaccuum cleaner...

But this is about Carters, isn't it? Sorry... a little OT there. I'm just curious what people think about the extent of "issues" that recalls will cover...


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MyZoeJane* 

I AM curious how you can see a diaper rash on a child at Target and ASSume that the mother doesn't think anything of it, though? Is it because she's not fretting and worrying out loud so you can hear her? Mighty presumptive of you, don't you think? My poor DD suffered from thrush rashes several times and I got some weird stares from folks who wondered why her butt was purple. I wonder if I should have been wearing a t shirt that read "It's gentian violet, dummy" so those who assumed the worst would know?

.

I had a battle with thrush with my first DS, big time. I saw a rash at Target a year or so ago that honestly, it looked like someone has scalded this baby. The mom was chatting happily with someone else and it was obviously bothering the other mom too. She just changed his diaper, he SCREAMED, and no cream, no lotion, no potions, nothing. It really made me sad. I personally know a mom whose son had impetigo and his penis looked scalded too, like red and blistered and cracked, she didn't think much of it and her ped was horrified. And it's not about money or anything, I don't know the first mom, but the second one was seriously wealthy. I just think MDC moms tend to want to know the cause, the healthiest way to prevent, etc.

It may seem presumptive to you, it was just an observation. Presumptive would have been to say something or to call her out in some way. But every person makes observations and judgements in their daily lives, that's human analytical nature.

And although I would have taken DS to the ped for the rashes I'd seen, I don't actually tend to overreact to his stuff the way you're implying. I often find another, more holistic way to attempt to deal with the problem first, but I do look into everything I find suspicious. But with that rash I'd have been there.

I think they're not recalling the Carter's because there's no evidence that there was a defect, just that some kids may have been more sensitive. I guess a comparison would be that some people are allergic to wool. Not that I agree, because you have to label fabrics and you don't ahve to label these stupid tags that have chemicals in them. But I think that's the mindset with the company and regulatory agencies.

PS I'm not sure exactly why you would capitalize the first three letters of assume, but I'll assume you did it by accident. Otherwise, that would be really unkind.


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## a~...Mamacitaa~... (Sep 18, 2004)

Ohh wow.. thank you soo much


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

Ok, I just went through my son's clothes to see if any carry the label (and I pulled out receipts from 2007 to make sure) and all I had was a pack of undershirts and jammies. The jammies I'm not sure of, but he definitely had a rash from the undershirts. At the time I thought it was from something on the stroller because he woke up from his nap just a wreck, but my mom recalled that he desperately wanted his shirt off, which is strange for him. I called Carter's and I'm sending the shirts back for sure. Since he hasn't really worn the jammies, but the label's the same, I need to decide if I want to send them back or keep them. My neighbor has the same jammies and we both pulled them out last night to use (since it got colder), so I'm going to check with her to see if her son had a problem. My son has way more sensitive skin than hers, so I'm not sure if her feedback will be terribly helpful, but we'll see.

Edited to add: I talked to my neighbor and we're both going to return the jammies as well since they were definitely purchased in the same trip as the shirt that caused irritation(and I have the receipt to confirm this). We shopped the Carter's store when the fleece jammies were all one sale and each bought 3-4 sets to rotate. We both washed them after purchasing them, and one set looks as though he's worn it a few times but I can't recall him wearing it?!? Anyway, I'd rather not find out later that the label is going to bother him since the other from the same trip did.


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## Nate'sMama (Jul 21, 2007)

So I just checked out that pic of the chemical burn and it is definitely not what my DS had. His was more of an allergic reaction or irritation than a burn (that poor baby).

So I think that there are a couple of things going on with the tags. There seems to be a wide range of reactions to the tagless system to say the least and I hope they work it out.

So I would bet in the "real world" there are more reaction along the lines of my DS and not that poor babes. Imho ALL the clothes from that line should go back or thrown out whichever you decide.


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## olien (Apr 21, 2008)

Interesting. I just called them and they were not eager for me to send the clothes back. She said - if he hasn't had a rash by now he is probably not allergic to the label and is fine, but if he does develop one to call back.

From reading earlier posts I was suprised by this. Well, I will most certainly call back and send back!!


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## Toolip (Mar 7, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *olien* 

From reading earlier posts I was suprised by this. Well, I will most certainly call back and send back!!

why are you going to send them back?


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## mytwogirls (Jan 3, 2008)

:

This is so interesting. My daughter was born 2006 and that year she had a rash on the same area and I bought a TON of Carter's clothes (about 90 percent of her wardrobe was Carter's) and now she is older and not buying as much of that (switched to organic clothes) and lo and behold, no rash. I thought it was eczema but I wonder now.....


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## olien (Apr 21, 2008)

I found this on another web site. You may find it useful since the picture has baby gap clothes in it also:

Most of my baby's clothes are BabyGap tagless. I wrote to Gap, and received this response:

"Thank you for your email about Gap Inc. merchandise quality and safety. We appreciate the time you?ve taken to share your concerns regarding our babyGap tagless tees. Rest assured our Gap Baby tagless tees are PVC , Saline and Phthalates free. Safety is one of our top priorities at Gap Inc. We do all we can to make sure our products are safe to all consumers and have a history of setting standards that meet or exceed the legal requirements for our
merchandise. We have pre-approved, independent laboratories where we have our vendors send products for testing before we sell them in our stores and online. We also have a Product Safety team who manage our
testing programs and make sure we are up to date on international safety and regulatory standards.

We hope you find this information helpful."


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## missbuns (Oct 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *beadmama* 
So what should I do about the clothes she has grown out of but am keeping for the next baby? Some are stained do I still return these?

I have also cut the bottoms off of onesies to make them into T-Shirts so she can wear them longer do I return those also?


I don't think it's for stained and cut clothes that have been worn, nor all Carter's clothes like I've been hearing. It's for specific items with the large tag which have caused problems for some kids.

My daughter (born 2007) has a TON of these clothes with the bad 2007 tag (all gifts) but has worn them happily with NO rash whatsoever for the past year and a half. I am not going to send them in but not save them for the next child either. I don't feel entitled to a bunch of new free Carter's clothes. I know people who are trying to get a full refund for hundreds of dollars worth of Carter's items from years ago which are mainly second hand and gifts. I don't understand that way of thinking. Carter's is not a "bad" company and supplies very low cost decent quality clothes to millions of people. Organic stuff is more expensive for a reason...you get what you pay for.

I don't think these are chemical burns either, more like an allergy from a crappy ink most likely made in China. This is of course very important and these companies need to really start looking into other options to produce their low cost stuff. We need to know our children's clothes and toys are safe. It sounds to me like the company is doing a good job of looking into it and refunding clothes which were troublesome to certain kids. If it were some kind of toxic mistake there would be a complete recall. This is something else.

If your child had any kind of reaction it's a different story. But well worn, stained, cut up clothes you haven't had a problem with? Just trash it and move on.


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## gretelmom (Jun 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *missbuns* 
I don't think it's for stained and cut clothes that have been worn, nor all Carter's clothes like I've been hearing. It's for specific items with the large tag which have caused problems for some kids.

My daughter (born 2007) has a TON of these clothes with the bad 2007 tag (all gifts) but has worn them happily with NO rash whatsoever for the past year and a half. I am not going to send them in but not save them for the next child either. I don't feel entitled to a bunch of new free Carter's clothes. I know people who are trying to get a full refund for hundreds of dollars worth of Carter's items from years ago which are mainly second hand and gifts. I don't understand that way of thinking. Carter's is not a "bad" company and supplies very low cost decent quality clothes to millions of people. Organic stuff is more expensive for a reason...you get what you pay for.

I don't think these are chemical burns either, more like an allergy from a crappy ink most likely made in China. This is of course very important and these companies need to really start looking into other options to produce their low cost stuff. We need to know our children's clothes and toys are safe. It sounds to me like the company is doing a good job of looking into it and refunding clothes which were troublesome to certain kids. If it were some kind of toxic mistake there would be a complete recall. This is something else.

If your child had any kind of reaction it's a different story. But well worn, stained, cut up clothes you haven't had a problem with? Just trash it and move on.

I know DS's reaction was an allergy, as when I gave him his first dose of prescription Allegra after the worst incident, it was 90% gone within an hour. that definitely shows it was an allergy and not a burn. Though maybe if a child were extremely allergic it could look like a burn?


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *missbuns* 
I don't think it's for stained and cut clothes that have been worn, nor all Carter's clothes like I've been hearing. It's for specific items with the large tag which have caused problems for some kids.

Actually, when I told the rep that the shirt that caused the problem got stained in the same trip, she still wanted it back. If they are truly going to test the tags that caused problems, why would they care of the rest of the garment was stained?

I went into The Children's Place today to pick up some replacement jammies for my son, and before I could finish asking the clerk where his size was, I saw this sign: The Children's Place Recalls Camouflage Pajama Sets Due to Excessive Lead and just said forget it. I checked out American Apparel, but they don't have jammies, just sweats. I can't afford to buy him organic clothes and we don't have the type of market int he area where I could pick them up secondhand, so I'm just frustrated!


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## missbuns (Oct 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TefferTWH* 
Actually, when I told the rep that the shirt that caused the problem got stained in the same trip, she still wanted it back. If they are truly going to test the tags that caused problems, why would they care of the rest of the garment was stained?

I went into The Children's Place today to pick up some replacement jammies for my son, and before I could finish asking the clerk where his size was, I saw this sign: The Children's Place Recalls Camouflage Pajama Sets Due to Excessive Lead and just said forget it. I checked out American Apparel, but they don't have jammies, just sweats. I can't afford to buy him organic clothes and we don't have the type of market int he area where I could pick them up secondhand, so I'm just frustrated!


I meant stained, well worn, cut up clothes where the child didn't experience any rash. For me these sort of things are for people who

A) have unworn clothes with the tag (don't want to risk giving the child a rash!)

B) have worn, stained, whatever clothes with the tag which caused a rash or reaction

If everyone just sends in their ripped, stained, well worn or cut up Carter's clothes to get a refund how will they know which tags caused the problem? It's probably a certain lot of ink.

As for organic stuff, it's best to stay away from all mall stores (including Hanna Andersson..lots of that stuff is made in China too!!) and find deals online.


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

Where should I look online? I'm at a loss for where to shop for things I can afford that are safe. I buy 90% of my son's things second hand at garage sales and Mom2Mom sales, and there just isn't the population around here who buys anything BUT mall clothes!

Those of you who sent things to Carter's, did you get some sort of response immediately when they got the clothes? I didn't add any sort of delivery verification to mine and I worry about them getting lost or whatever. I always worry about that sort of thing!


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## GreenFlower (Aug 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TefferTWH* 
Those of you who sent things to Carter's, did you get some sort of response immediately when they got the clothes? I didn't add any sort of delivery verification to mine and I worry about them getting lost or whatever. I always worry about that sort of thing!

I didn't get any repsonse after we sent ours. I was nervous about it because we had a huge box to send and we can't afford for that to get lost in the mail! I tried getting delivery confirmation or insurance, but unless we paid the postage ourselves (instead of using their postage-paid mailer), the only thing we could get was a certified receipt saying that we'd mailed a package to Carter's. So at least we have that.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I have been kind of wondering the same thing about the two packages I sent back to Carters. They didn't say to put anything in the bag with the clothes, and the only identifying info on the outside was my first initial, last name and address. I hope they have some way to know that the clothing was from our house. I may call tomorrow just to see if the package arrived.


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

I tried to take my (new, gifts, tags still on) stuff back to BRU this weekend and they said no returns without receipts.







Kinda stupid for a place whose business is largely gifts, eh?


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paquerette* 
I tried to take my (new, gifts, tags still on) stuff back to BRU this weekend and they said no returns without receipts.







Kinda stupid for a place whose business is largely gifts, eh?

That stinks! We have a TRU here, not a BRU, and I took back a gift given to DS for his birthday (loud, flashy, plastic, Disney ride on thing that scared him to death) and they took it back no questions asked. They had the receipt in their computer system, so didn't even ask me if I had one. I am so sorry they gave you a hard time. I wonder what they would do if you had said the clothing was the wrong size or that you already had the same thing and didn't want two of the same? (not that I am advocating lying, but just wondering what they would have said then)


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

I dunno. I sent DH to the counter to do the actual transaction so I actually have no idea what was said.


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## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

Wow! That was fast. I just got my check from Carter's today, but that was only 2 weeks from sending it out to them returning me a check. I had a rough idea of how much I should get and it was right on for replacement value based on what I saw on Kohl's online, and my stuff was all used or washed and ready to go (as opposed to tags on NEW).


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## Taryn237 (Aug 20, 2006)

I had 3 that were new that I was going to use as gifts... the rep. I spoke to was very nice and is sending me a label to send them back.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pumpkin_Pie* 
That stinks! We have a TRU here, not a BRU, and I took back a gift given to DS for his birthday (loud, flashy, plastic, Disney ride on thing that scared him to death) and they took it back no questions asked. They had the receipt in their computer system, so didn't even ask me if I had one. I am so sorry they gave you a hard time. I wonder what they would do if you had said the clothing was the wrong size or that you already had the same thing and didn't want two of the same? (not that I am advocating lying, but just wondering what they would have said then)

TRU and BRU here are super strict about receipts. It sucks.


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