Household Cleaning Products Still a Leading Cause of Injury in Children 5 and Younger

WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- From 2007 through 2022, there were 240,862 household cleaning product-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments among children aged 5 years and younger, according to a study published online April 2 in Pediatrics.Rebecca J. McAdams, M.P.H., from The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues examined cases of unintentional, nonfatal, household cleaning product-related injuries among children aged 5 years or younger treated in U.S. emergency departments from 2007 to 2022 using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database.The researchers found that an estimated 240,862 children were treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries related to household cleaning products. Bleach and detergents were the cleaning product types and containers associated with the most injuries (30.1 and 28.6 percent, respectively). The most common diagnoses were poisoning, followed by chemical burn and dermatitis and/or conjunctivitis (64.0, 14.1, and 11.2 percent, respectively). Injuries were most associated with detergent packets, spray bottles, and nonspraying containers (33.0, 28.2, and 19.7 percent, respectively)."Although the rate of injuries associated with packets decreased, they remained the leading cause of overall detergent injury rates in 2022," McAdams said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Household Cleaning Products Still a Leading Cause of Injury in Children 5 and Younger

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