NEW YORK: Scientists have warned that hand sanitisers might do more harm than good. They have found these alcohol-based, scented products might tempt young kids to swallow the substance -leading to stomach pain, nausea, apnea and even coma.
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, researchers from US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention analysed data reported by poison centres among children aged 12 years during 2011to 2014.
The study found majority of intentional exposures to alcohol hand sanitisers occurred in children aged 6-12 years.
During 2011-2014, 70,669 hand sanitiser exposures in children aged 12 years were reported, of which 65,293 (92%) were alcohol exposures and 5,376 (8%) were non alcohol exposures.
These data also indicate that, among older children, exposures occur less frequently during the summer months.
PTI