Hand sanitisers could lead to abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting in children

A new study has suggested that hand sanitizers could prove risky for children. They may be tempted to swallow it and even the exposure to the substance can cause illnesses.

Parents take note! Hand sanitisers may do more harm than good, warn scientists who found that these alcohol-based, scented products may tempt young kids to swallow the substance - leading to serious consequences such as stomach pains, nausea and even coma.

Hand sanitizers may not be as safe as you thought they were.(Shutterstock)

Exposure to sanitisers have resulted in adverse health effects like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting among children, scientists said.

Researchers from US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention have identified serious consequences, including apnea, acidosis and coma in young children who swallowed alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

To characterise paediatric alcohol hand sanitiser exposures in the US, data reported by poison centres among children aged 12 years during 2011 to 2014 were analysed.

The study found that majority of intentional exposures to alcohol hand sanitisers occurred in children aged 6-12 years. (Shutterstock)

Hand sanitiser exposures were defined as a poison centre call reporting an exposure to either alcohol hand sanitiser exposure or a non alcohol sanitiser product.

Calls reporting co-exposures to other agents were excluded to minimise confounding effects.

The study found that majority of intentional exposures to alcohol hand sanitisers occurred in children aged 6-12 years.

During 2011-2014, a total of 70,669 hand sanitiser exposures in children aged 12 years were reported, of which 65,293 were 92% exposures and 5,376 were 8% non alcohol exposures.

These data also indicate that, among older children, exposures occur less frequently during the summer months.

The reason for this seasonal trend is unknown but might be associated with flu season or more ready access to hand sanitisers during the school year, researchers said.

The recommendations provided by the researchers included, hand washing with soap and water.

Increasing awareness of the potential dangers associated with intentional or unintentional ingestion of alcohol hand sanitisers.

“Caregivers and health care providers need to be aware of the potential risks and dangers associated with improper use of hand sanitiser products among children and the need to use proper safety precautions to protect children,” researchers said.

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