Nail polish remover, shampoo and skin care items big threats for children in US, warns study

A new study has revealed that every two hours, a child in the United States is taken to the emergency room due to injuries caused by household cosmetic and personal care products. Items such as nail polish remover, shampoo, skin care and hair products are among the most common culprits. Researchers found that many incidents occur when children accidentally ingest or spill these products, leading to poisoning and eye injuries. Experts are urging parents to store cosmetics and cleaning items securely and out of children’s reach to prevent such avoidable accidents at home.

According to CBS News, a 15-year study by the Center for Injury Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital revealed that between 2002 and 2016, around 64,686 children under the age of five were treated in emergency rooms for injuries linked to household cosmetic and personal care products.

Published in Clinical Pediatrics, as reported by CBS News, the study found that 75% of cosmetic-related injuries in children occurred after swallowing a product, while 19% resulted from contact with the eyes.

The leading culprits were nail care items (28%), hair products (27%), and skin care products (25%), with nail polish remover identified as the single most common cause of injuries among young children.

"When you think about what young children see when they look at these products, you start to understand how these injuries can happen," Rebecca McAdams, a co-author of the study and a Nationwide Children's Hospital researcher, told CBS News.

"Kids this age can't read, so they don't know what they are looking at. They see a bottle with a colorful label that looks or smells like something they are allowed to eat or drink, so they try to open it and take a swallow. When the bottle turns out to be nail polish remover instead of juice, or lotion instead of yogurt, serious injuries can occur," Rebecca added.