Snopes is aware of online reports claiming that baby wipes made by Parent’s Choice, a brand operated by Walmart, were recalled in April 2022 amid unconfirmed rumors of heavy metal and arsenic exposure.

Snopes readers sent our team the following screenshots as examples of the types of social media posts they were seeing online:

parents choice baby wipes
Screenshots courtesy of Snopes readers.

As of this writing, Snopes has not been able to independently verify whether a recall had been issued by either Walmart or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the governmental agency that oversees product recalls, corrections, and removals. Neither has publicly issued an official statement pertaining to the Parent’s Choice baby wipes. We have contacted both entities for further information and will update the article accordingly.

The Miami Herald did report on May 4 that at least 18 lots of the wipes were pulled by the box retailer for an unannounced reason. Walmart sent the publication this statement:

Walmart proactively removed select lot numbers of Parent’s Choice baby wipes from stores due to a quality issue. We are working closely with the supplier and FDA to investigate the issue. Customers may return the product to any Walmart store for a refund.

It appears the rumor began with a product removal alert dated April 28, 2022, that was shared to Twitter two days later.

An email with the subject line “Dept. 79 UPDATE — Nice-Pak Products – Parent’s Choice Baby Wipes” said that a message was sent to all Walmart stores on April 25 to “remove specific lot numbers of the Parent’s Choice Baby Wipes and to send those specific lots to Return Centers.” Those lot numbers included the following:

  • Impacted lot numbers L22075 through L22085
  • New lot numbers L22089 through L22095.

Since that initial Twitter post, many social media users have reshared the content in a form of “copypasta” (a portmanteau for “copy-and-paste,” a type of vague social media post repeatedly copied and shared without links to official records, statements, or other verifiable evidence).

One such example is a user who posted in an online forum hosted by Baby Center claiming that the “wipes are causing an orange color that doesn’t come off and burns” that are due to “exposure of metals like arsenic and mercury.” The story was also picked up by the sports website Sportskeeda, which acknowledged on May 3 that internet rumors were circulating about the wipes, and cited an unlinked “official statement” made on April 28.

The arsenic and mercury rumors did not originate with a reliable source and, as of this writing, are entirely unconfirmed. We will update the article when we have more information.

Sources:

Health, Center for Devices and Radiological. “Recalls, Corrections and Removals (Devices).” FDA, 17 Mar. 2021, https://ift.tt/pHANBvM.

Parent’s Choice Baby Wipes Recall! | BabyCenter. 4 May 2022, https://ift.tt/8uQtfvi.

π™Ώπš›πšŽπšœπš•πšŽπš’ on Twitter: “Just Posting for Any Mommas Who May Not Have Seen- Parents Choice Wipe Recall‼️… “. 30 Apr. 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20220430164005/https:/twitter.com/presleybrookee/status/1520441440660303872.

Rao, Karishma. Parents Choice Wipes Recall 2022 Explained amid Heavy Metals and Arsenic Fears. https://ift.tt/Yo2VPFx. Accessed 4 May 2022.

“Snopestionary: What Is Copypasta?” Snopes.Com, https://ift.tt/pAleyq1. Accessed 4 May 2022.

“Whoa, Baby! Walmart Introduces Hundreds of New and Improved Private Brand Baby Essentials.” Corporate – US, https://ift.tt/whOAHgG. Accessed 4 May 2022.