Poison control alert: Keep hand sanitizer away from kids

One small but important item parents may have overlooked amidst the chaos of coronavirus confinement this week? Baby and kid-proofing our new quarantined lives.

According to a report in Axois Tuesday, the online Poison Control portal has noted a 22% increase in inquiries about accidental hand sanitizer consumption, suggesting that babies and children at home may be getting their hands on their parents’ supplies.

Hand sanitizer, whose main ingredient is ethyl alcohol, is dangerous if consumed as it can actually make children drunk, lowering their heart rates and affect breathing.

“A lick of hand sanitizer will not be fatal to a child or anyone else,” the poison control website explains. “It does contain alcohol and so should be stored, like other potential poisons, out of sight and out of reach.”

“You’ll have a lot more children at home among the toxic products that are already there…It’s on the counter now and more readily available,” Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, medical toxicologist and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Control Center told Axios.

With parents practicing sanitizing, hand washing and cleaning at record rates, it’s important for us to keep products (as always) stored away from curious children.

If a child does get into some hand sanitizer (or anything else), the experts at poison control suggest parents use the Poison Control online tool or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If your child is having trouble breathing call 9-1-1.

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