A new study out of Columbus finds that common hygiene products send a young child to the emergency room every two hours.
Mike Foley reports.
The Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that nearly 65,000 children under the age of five were treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries related to personal care products from 2002 through 2016.
The study found that most injuries occurred when a child swallowed the product or the substance made contact with a child’s skin or eyes. These ingestions and exposures most often led to poisonings or chemical burns.
The top three product categories leading to injuries were nail, hair, and skin care. Nail polish remover led to the most number of visits to the emergency room according to the study.
Researchers say the study highlights the ease of access young kids have to these products, and that children often watch their parents using the items and may try to imitate that behavior. They recommend storing personal care products up, away and out of sight preferably in a cabinet that can be locked. Researchers say it’s a good idea to have the poison help line saved in cell phone contacts and available near home phones. That number is 1-800-222-1222, and it’s also printed in the online version of this story at wcbe.org. The study is published in Clinical Pediatrics.
