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Chatham mum Nicola Parkes wants answers after baby Amelia suffers nappy blisters

00:01, 01 September 2017

A baby girl has suffered chronic blisters and has been on medication for nearly six weeks after a nasty reaction to her nappies.

The angry rash erupted again and her anxious parents took her to A&E where they were told it had become infected.

The ordeal started after Nicola Parkes picked up the Asda own-brand product for 15-month-old Amelia and her twin sister Olivia.

Nicola Parkes with daughter Amelia
Nicola Parkes with daughter Amelia

Within hours she discovered a red rash on her hip, but initially put it down to nappy rash.

But the condition got rapidly worse and Nicola took her to the Balmoral Gardens Healthy Living Centre, Gillingham.

She was given cream and antibiotics but the treatment did not work and the 34-year-old was forced to go back.

Doctors then gave her an alternative prescription but again it made no difference.

The one night in desperation, Miss Parkes and the twins’ dad, Samuel O’Shea, took Amelia to Medway Maritime Hospital.

The couple are now waiting to see if her latest treatment cures the problem, but fear she could be scarred for life.

Asda has had the Little Angels nappies tested as a precaution and results have shown they are safe to use.

The rash on 15-month-old Amelia’s hip
The rash on 15-month-old Amelia’s hip

Miss Parkes, of Castle Road, Luton, said: “At first, she was a bit whingey and I thought it could be a nappy rash or she could be teething.”

It was only when she was discussing the matter with 26-year-old Mr O’Shea they realised the “angry-looking” break-out appeared after she had put on the nappy for the first time in mid-July.

She went on social media and discovered Asda had withdrawn its product for safety reasons after a dad in south Yorkshire complained his premature baby son had suffered a “chemical reaction”.

Two weeks later, a mum said the product had left her toddler “screaming in agony and breaking out in burns and blisters” less than 30 minutes after she had put the nappy on.

Supplies were put back on the shelves days beforehand after the company said a batch had been tested.

Miss Parkes lodged a complaint on July 13 at the Chatham store where she bought them in an emergency after running out of her usual brand.

Nicola Parkes with daughter Amelia
Nicola Parkes with daughter Amelia

She is now awaiting a response after providing photographs of the condition to customer services.

Miss Parkes, who is also mum to Owen, aged 10, said: “I normally buy Pampers, but they did not have them in their size.

“Her sister Olivia broke out in small blotches which faded away quickly.

"It breaks my heart to see her in pain and seeing the oozing burn mark. It is quite shocking.”

An Asda spokesman said: “We understand how upsetting this situation must be for Miss Parkes and have stayed in touch with her while we fully investigated.

“We have reassured her the test results confirm there is nothing wrong with the nappies she used, which supports the findings from recent extensive independent tests into our nappy range that concluded they are safe for sale and use.

“We hope Ms Parkes’ daughter is feeling much better soon and would like to reassure all our customers that they can have complete confidence in Little Angels nappies.”

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