The Facts About Childhood Poisonings with Home Cleaning Products

Photo: Istock / Photo Illustration by Gloria Dawson

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Nearly 12,000 children aged 1-5 went to a hospital emergency room because they drank, touched or were sprayed with household cleaners in a single year, according to a new study that analyzed data from 1990 to 2006.

The good news is that the number of annual emergency room visits for household cleaner injuries is down 46% since 1990, primarily because childproof containers are now required, and parents are better educated. But the bad news is that the actual number of children hurt by household cleaners is likely to be significantly higher than the reported number, and at least 744 children poisoned by household cleansers suffered life-threatening or permanent injuries in the last year studied, according to the authors of the study, Lara B. McKenzie, Nisha Ahir, Uwe Stolz and Nicolas G. Nelson, who published their research today in Pediatrics. The study relied on data from about 100 emergency rooms from around the country.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends storing cleansers in locked cabinets, buying products with child-resistant packaging, retaining products in their original packaging and disposing properly of unneeded cleansers. Many parents report taking these steps, but studies show they rarely do. The Daily Green additionally recommends avoiding harsh cleansers in the first place, by choosing nontoxic off-the-shelf cleansers, or making your own, which is often as easy as mixing baking soda and vinegar. Try simple nontoxic DIY cleansers to clean anything around the home.

So what makes kids sick?

Not surprisingly:

• Bleach is a big culprit, causing 37% of injuries, including many that start with parents storing bleach in dinnerware – a big no-no.
• Most injuries, 63%, came from drinking cleansers, and poisoning was the most common diagnosis. Another 36% of exposures came from skin contact, leading to chemical burns or rashes.
• Nearly three out of every four injuries happened to very young children, under age 3. And nearly 60% of victims were boys.
• Children under the age of 5 account for more than half of all poisonings in the U.S. each year (1.2 million cases in 2006), and 80% of those poisonings happen in the home.

More surprisingly:

• Spray bottles caused 40% of injuries, more than any other type of container. Injuries to the eyes and face were 14 times more likely, too, when spray bottles were in play, and spray bottles were the only category of container to show no decrease in injuries caused since 1990.
• Children exposed to cleansers with acids or alkalis like lye, oven cleaners, drain cleaners, toilet bowl products and dishwasher detergents were nearly five times as likely be hospitalized for their injuries. Exposure to ammonia also increased hospitalizations.
• Exposure to cleansers is the second-biggest source of poisoning in children under the age of 6. Exposure to personal-care products or cosmetics is No. 1.

Here's a look at the categories of cleansers that caused emergency room visits, in order from most to least.

1. Bleach: 37%
swimming pool chemicals
disinfectants

2. Other: 30%
general-purpose household cleaners
wallpaper cleaners
room deodorizers
abrasive cleaners
metal polishes
room deodorizers or fresheners
tarnish removers
windshield wiper fluids
mixtures

3. Low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons: 13%
pine oil cleaning products
spot removers
turpentine

4. Acids and/or alkalis: 10%
acids
lye
caustic agents
oven cleaners
drain cleaners
toilet bowl products
dishwasher detergents

5. Detergents: 7%
laundry soaps and detergents
dishwashing liquids
(Even seemingly benign cleansers like these can be poisonous; dishwasher tablets or powder, and many laundry detergents, can be caustic enough to burn skin or damage the respiratory tract or stomach if swallowed.)

6. Ammonia: 3%

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