National Poison Prevention Week is celebrated the third week of March every year and is a good reminder of the actions we can take to ensure the safe use of products at home. The U.S. Congress established the recognition week in 1961 to focus national attention on the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 93 percent of exposures happen at home, and 45 percent of exposures involve children 0 to 5 years of age.
Most Common Exposures Reported in Young Children to Poison Centers Nationwide
Nationwide, most accidental exposures that involve young children are associated with products commonly found in the average household, including household cleaners and personal care products like lip balm, deodorant, makeup, mouthwash, and perfume. These products are routinely used daily and are often kept in easy to reach places such as purses, diaper bags, countertops, or cabinets. In 2020, sales and use of some of these products soared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With increased use in homes nationwide, the number of accidental exposures reported to poison centers also increased.
Children Using an Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Need Supervision and Guidance
Proper hand hygiene is often considered the cornerstone of an effective infection prevention program. In patient care settings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other public health organizations recommend alcohol-based hand sanitizers as the first choice for proper hand hygiene when hands are not visibly soiled. These guidelines are based on a wide body of evidence that alcohol-based hand rubs rapidly and effectively reduce a broad spectrum of bacteria on hands that can cause hospital-acquired infections.
In 2020, the number of accidental exposures involving ethanol-based hand sanitizers reported to poison centers (~19,000 exposures) was 37% higher than the previous year. This increase is unsurprising as it coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased use of hand sanitizers nationwide – sales of hand sanitizer jumped 600% in 2020.*
Hand sanitizers are convenient to have readily available when you are on-the-go to kill germs that can cause illness, but it's important to teach children how to use hand sanitizer safely. Remember that many hand sanitizer bottles state on the label, "children under 6 years of age should be supervised when using the product."
To be effective, alcohol-based hand sanitizers must contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol. Due to their small size, children are more susceptible to toxicity than adults when ethanol is ingested. However, accidental exposures reported to poison centers most commonly involve an 'exploratory' taste or small mouthful at most. In smaller amounts, symptoms are rare, and the vast majority of children (>99%) do not experience any ill effects. Despite the increase in accidental exposures, the number of children who experienced toxicity with safe, supervised use remains very low and consistent with pre-pandemic data.
Prevention Tips to Avoid Misuse
- Keep hand sanitizers out of reach and sight of children when not in use.
- Teach kids how to use hand sanitizers safely by rubbing it in thoroughly and telling them never to lick their hands or rub their eyes right after use. Small children should always be supervised when using hand sanitizer.
- Never leave purses or diaper bags containing alcohol-based hand sanitizer unattended.
- Keep products in the original container.
What to do if an Exposure Occurs:
- Remain calm
- Call the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222
- Have the following information ready
- Product Container
- How much was taken
- Time exposure occurred
- Describe symptoms
- Age and Weight of child
- Follow Poison Center recommendations closely and ask questions
The Nation's 55 poison centers provide the country with expert, 24/7, free consultations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Poison Help Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
* Wall Street Journal, Jan. 22, 2021: Hand Sanitizer Sales Jumped 600% in 2020. Purell Maker Bets Against a Post-Pandemic Collapse