The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has received five reports about Millie Moon nappies, with the complaints referring to a "rash/blisters forming" after use, RNZ reported on 2 November.
MBIE has told the business to investigate, and said it expects a product to be recalled if it is not safe, according to RNZ. MBIE declined to be interviewed.
There is no recall of Millie Moon nappies in New Zealand at this stage. The company says its own testing has found no product-related cause.
Millie Moon is part of the Zuru Edge group, RNZ reported.
What the company says
Millie Moon did not respond to RNZ's request for an interview, but posted a statement on social media.
"Our diapers and training pants passed every test conducted as part of our independent investigation. No harmful bacteria were detected in the samples tested, and the products met the requirements assessed under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)," the company said.
It said it worked with six independent laboratories, including on batches linked to complaints, and had also looked at whether unintended substances could have come from raw materials, manufacturing processes, processing aids, adhesives or other components.
"Based on the investigations and testing completed to date, we have not identified a product-related cause for the reported reactions," the statement said. The company said it would "act appropriately" if it found one.
Complaints in the United States
RNZ reported the US Consumer Product Safety Commission had received hundreds of complaints about the nappies.
On 3 November, RNZ reported that US group Consumer Reports said it had received 700 reports about Millie Moon nappies since January 2026, and was standing by its call for a voluntary recall.
Consumer Reports senior policy analyst Gabe Night told RNZ that parents had reported "severe burns, bleeding, blisters, welts and peeling skin" as well as rashes, and that at least three emergency room visits had been reported. Night said the group had been told of a two-year-old who may need skin grafts. These are reports made to Consumer Reports and have not been independently confirmed.
"We have never seen this number of incidents reported in such a short time period," Night said. "We know that Millie Moon is doing their own investigation. Unfortunately, though, we still don't have answers."
Consumer Reports is advising US customers not to buy the nappies until the cause is known.
Consumer NZ wants a stronger system
Consumer NZ's head of research, Gemma Rasmussen, told RNZ that New Zealand is not doing enough to protect babies from potentially unsafe products.
She said the onus is currently on businesses to make sure products are safe. Some products for under-threes, such as cots and nightwear, have mandatory safety standards, but most do not.
"In New Zealand, we have a reactive product safety system. What tends to happen is that an issue occurs and then there is a sort of reaction," Rasmussen said. "We are missing in action when it comes to children and babies."
She said the government should put more focus on reviewing products coming into the country, particularly for children, "because waiting for harm to occur is not a great model".
If your baby uses these nappies
No official advice has been issued in New Zealand telling parents to stop using Millie Moon nappies. MBIE has asked the company to investigate.
Parents worried about a rash or skin reaction should get advice from their GP, practice nurse or Healthline, whatever brand of nappy they use.
Product Safety New Zealand, part of MBIE, says anyone who believes a product is unsafe should contact the retailer or supplier, and can also tell Product Safety using its Report an unsafe product form. It says it reviews every report, will not share your name or contact details with the business, and uses reports to inform enforcement decisions, but it cannot investigate each report or resolve disputes with a business. Its freephone is 0508 426 678.
We will update this story if MBIE or Millie Moon announces any further action.
