By Katia Hetter, CNN
(CNN) — Tens of thousands of young children are injured every year by common household items that many parents don’t think to lock away.
More than 240,000 children ages 5 and under were treated in US emergency departments for injuries related to household cleaning products over a 16-year period, according to estimates published in a large, new study in Pediatrics.
Young children are especially at risk since they can’t read or understand warning language, but the steps parents and caregivers should take to keep children safe are easy and straightforward.
I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University, to get her guidance. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner and is the mother of two young children.
CNN: What did this study find about injuries linked to household cleaning products?
Dr. Leana Wen: This study analyzed national emergency department data over a 16-year period, from 2007 through 2022, focusing on unintentional injuries among children 5 and under. The researchers used a federal surveillance system that tracks consumer product–related injuries across the United States.
They estimated that 240,862 young children were treated in emergency departments for injuries related to household cleaning products during that time. The majority of these cases, almost 60%, involved ingestion, meaning the child swallowed the product. Nearly 40% were through contact, and a small percentage, 1.2%, involved inhalation.
CNN: What types of cleaning products are most commonly involved?
Wen: Two types of products stand out: Bleach accounted for about 30% of injuries, and laundry and dish detergents for nearly 29%. In terms of how products were packaged, detergent packets were linked to about one-third of injuries, spray bottles to just over one-quarter, and other containers, such as bottles or open containers, made up a smaller but still substantial portion.
Bleach has remained a consistent source of injury over time, in part because it is widely used in many households and often stored in places accessible to children. Detergents are also a major contributor, especially with the introduction of concentrated products like laundry and dish detergent packets that are small and brightly colored and often resemble candy, which can make them particularly appealing to young children.
CNN: What kinds of injuries are most common, and how serious are they?
Wen: Poisoning accounted for about 64% of diagnoses, according to the study. Other common diagnoses included chemical burns, which made up about 14%; and skin or eye irritation, including dermatitis and conjunctivitis, at around 11%.
About 7% of children in this study required hospitalization. Of these cases, approximately 84% involved ingestion, and nearly half of hospitalized children were 1 year of age or younger.
These statistics underscore that injuries involving household products can be very serious. These cleaners are designed to break down grease and stains and to destroy bacteria, and those same properties that make them effective can damage human tissue.
It’s also important to note that the results do not include children who were treated at their pediatrician’s office or an urgent care facility, which means the total number of cases involving exposure to household products is probably much higher. The authors reported there were