With increasing awareness of personal hygiene and dissemination of knowledge of how disease spreads, and aggresive marketing there is an increasing tendency to carry bottles of hand sanitizers for use on a regular basis,

While these are effective and good, there are limitations and one should avoid indiscriminate use especially, in children.Do remember, that hand sanitizers cannot replace proper  hand-washing with soap and water.

Proper Hand Washing Technique

To have adequately clean hands once they are soiled with dirt or grime, one must wash hands with a soft, gentle soap for at least 20 seconds under running water. There is no need to get antibacterial soaps for routine hand washing. The estimated time is the time taken to sing “Happy Birthday” twice or “Saare Jahan Se Accha” once). Children can either wash their hands themselves or the caregivers can help them wash their hands.

Wash hands before preparing and eating food, before giving medication, and after using the restroom, coughing or sneezing and any time that the hands have become soiled.

Limitations and Dangers of Hand Sanitizers in children

• Hand sanitizers cannot work through dirt and grime. If water and soap are available, then there is no need for sanitizer. If they are not available, then wipe the dirt clean first and then use the sanitizer.
• Almost all the hand sanitizers contain isopropyl or ethyl alcohol. Intentional (older children and adolescents) or unintentional ingestion of the sanitizer is cumulative and can result in acute or chronic poisoning. One oz bottle containing 60% alcohol can cause a dangerous blood level in a child.
• Extensive use can result in dry, cracked hands with the cracks acting as entry points for bacteria to cause infection.

Recommendations for use in children

• No child below three years of age should use hand sanitizers
• Children above three years should use hand sanitizers only under adult supervision and only when there is no access to running water and soap.
• Wait for the rub to evaporate entirely after use and rub it in vigorously into the hand.
• A solution for children is the use of alcohol wipes. Wipes eliminate the possibility of ingestion of excess alcohol.
• Do store sanitizers out of the reach of children.
• Sanitizers are inflammable. Store them away from any open flames.