Who knew something as effective as hand sanitisers which help us avoid the spread of COVID-19 could be harming our children’s eyes?
Well during the COVID-19 pandemic we have all seen a rise in access to hand sanitisers at various public spaces. They are everywhere now; in shopping malls, schools, cafes and restaurants. The hand sanitisers which are automatic are frequently positioned at an average face height for a child of 3.5 years old. This creates opportunity for our children’s eyes to become exposed.
This could explain why eye health professionals are seeing an increase in alcohol-based hand sanitiser (ABHS) related ocular exposures in children, as reported by the French Poison Control Centre.
What we can take from this is while ABHS are a useful part of our armament against COVID-19, we should be careful with these agents around children. If the hand sanitiser is effective enough to kill a virus, it is effective enough to cause severe damage to the eye.
To limit the risks of ABHS induced ocular injuries parents are recommended to promote their children to wash their hands with soap and warm water, rather than alcohol-based agents. Also teaching your children how to correctly use sanitisers could help reduce the risks of ABHS related ocular exposures.
As with any chemical splash in the eye, it is recommended to irrigate the eye with water or saline and seek medical advice.