Sir.—In the interest of concerned parents, we would like to report an incident that may occur in infants wearing "super-absorbent" disposable diapers. Improvements in materials used for disposable diapers have minimized the usual problem of rash associated with wet diapers. This advancement has occurred through the use of improved components of the diaper, primarily greater absorbent gelling material that makes the diaper more effective in absorbing urine.
Occasionally, small, loose quantities of this material may pass through the top sheet of the diaper (especially if ruptured) and transfer to the infant's skin. This gel on the skin gives the appearance of small, shiny beads or a lotionlike film on the skin, or "crystals" being present in the infant's urine. Bagged or catheterized urine samples do not show the material in the urine. The new gelling material is being used more frequently in disposable diapers and has been thoroughly safety