As adults, we know how the products that we use frequently in our home work and we know that we should give them proper use. However, when we have babies and young children, we must take some precautionary measures with some of them, because in their inexperienced hands they could be harmful.
Usually when we think of products that we should not leave within reach of children, medicines or cleaning products, such as detergents, come to mind. However, according to a recent investigation conducted in the United States, Every two hours a child ends up going to the emergency room because of the hygiene and cosmetic products found at home.
Products that could be dangerous for babies and young children
We all have something very clear: children are extremely curious, and from this we can realize since they are babies, because as soon as they have a bit of mobility, they begin to explore everything and take every object they find, to later analyze it carefully, sometimes, with his mouth.
In Babies and more Medicines and household products, the main causes of childhood poisoning Therefore, we are warned to fathers and mothers that even before the baby is born and becomes part of the family, we must make sure to make the house "baby proof", eliminating all those things that could be dangerous for him.
As I mentioned at the beginning, usually when we think about the things we should keep out of reach of babies and young children, we think of those things that we all relate to the danger of poisoning or poisoning, such as cleaning products and medications.
However, according to a recent research conducted in the United States and published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, Every two hours a child is taken to the ER for an incident related to personal care products, such as hygiene and cosmetic products.
To reach this conclusion of the average number of children who end up in the hospital because of the exposure of these products, The medical records of 64,686 children under five were analyzed, which were treated in emergency areas due to injuries related to personal hygiene products between 2002 and 2016.
Of all the incidents analyzed, it was found that in 75.7% of the cases, the children had ingested one of these products, while 19.3% of the injuries had occurred because the product came into contact with the skin or eyes of the children.
Of the total cases, 86.2% resulted in poisoning and 13.8% of children experienced burns because of the chemicals that included the products. Regarding the age of the children, 60% of those affected were less than two years old.
Between the main products that caused such injuries, were the following:
- Nail care products, such as enamel and acetone.
- Hair care products, such as shampoo and dyes.
- Skin care products, such as lotions and creams.
- Products with fragrances, such as perfumes or body sprays.
Among all the products, the ones that caused the most accidents or injuries were the enamel remover and hair dyes or treatments.
Tips to prevent injuries due to hygiene and cosmetic products
It is not specified if the cases analyzed were only situations in which the children took any of these products by accident or error, or if the parents applied them without knowing that they could cause any allergic reaction or burn on their skin.
However, the message is clear: that a product is safe for an adult does not mean that it is for a child. Starting with the fact that we can read labels and know by common sense that we should not ingest hygiene or cosmetic products. Not the kids.
In addition, we must remember that The skin of babies and young children is much more sensitive than that of an adult, so the products we use are not always appropriate for them and we should avoid using those that may harm them.
In Babies and more Care with these products: they are not food but could cause reaction in allergic childrenThat said, we must take precautions similar to those we take with hygiene and cosmetic products when we talk about products at risk of poisoning or poisoning:
- Do not leave them within reach of babies or young children. We must assign them a specific place and away from their hands, preferably in a high place, behind a door or in a drawer that they cannot open.
- Leave them out only while we are using them, and when finished, return them immediately to their place, far from the reach of children.
- In the case of products that we use with them as shampoo or creams suitable for your skin type, we must be careful not to take it without us noticing, because Babies or young children may accidentally ingest them.
- When children are old enough to understand what we tell them, we must explain to them what these products are for, and tell them that misuse can be dangerous or harmful to them. This is necessary, because unlike other products such as medications, children are in frequent contact with personal hygiene products.
While Most hygiene and cosmetic products are not dangerous, yes we must take precautions and not trust us or leave them within your reach, because our children can misuse or accidentally ingest them.
Photos | Unsplash, iStock
Via | Healthline
