The Dangers of Hand Sanitizer: Is it safe for Children?

Feb. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- Just because it says hand sanitizer doesn't mean it's safe for your kids!

Dr. Alon Leibovitz, Pediatrician and member of Kids Medicine Made Simple Project is putting parents of young children on notice.  While it's understandable that parents want to protect their kids from germs, they are not aware of the dangers of hand sanitizer!  Not all hand sanitizers are created equal!  And not all of them are safe or effective for young children!

New Hyde Park, New York--According to Dr. Leibovitz, "There are many dangers of hand sanitizer, the most serious of which is thinking that they all kill 99.9% of all germs."

"In fact," he goes on to say, "only hand sanitizers that contain 60% or more alcohol are actually the ones that can kill almost all germs.  The less the alcohol content, the greater the dangers of hand sanitizer."

Dr. Leibovitz cautions all parents:  "Don't be fooled into thinking that just any hand sanitizer can protect your children from germs.  The dangers of hand sanitizer is that it gives parents a false sense of security, without their truly knowing if it's really doing it's job."

Hand washing with clean water and soap is always Dr. Leibovitz first choice. However, when soap and water are not available hand sanitizer is a good option.  While Dr. Leibovitz is warning families about the dangers of hand sanitizer that are less than 60% alcohol, he is also educating parents about how best to encourage their children to wash their hands.
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"Washing your hands may seem basic but it is by far one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of illness," says Dr. Leibovitz to his  patients  daily.  Dr Leibovitz has identified 10 keys steps to encourage your children to wash their hands.  Here are the first 5 steps :

1-Wash your hands with your children to show them how it's done.

2-To prevent rushing, suggest washing their hands for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.

3-You might place hand-washing reminders at children's eye level, such as a chart by the bathroom sink for children to mark every time they wash their hands or put up a gold star.

4-If your children can't reach the sink on their own, keep a step stool handy.
 
5-Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are OK for children and adolescents, too, especially when soap and water aren't available. However, they must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective. Also note that alcohol doesn't cut through grime well, so dirt, blood, feces, other body fluids or soil must be wiped or washed away first, if the alcohol in the sanitizer is to be effective. In such cases, hand washing with soap and water is advised.


These 5 tips are just a few of the ways parents can learn about the basic of properly encouraging their kids to hand wash. To receive a free copy of the entire Special Report: Dangers of hand sanitizer---Is it safe for kids? visit  Dr. Leibovitz website: www.kidsmedicinemadesimple.com

For media inquiries, to arrange for an interview or an expert quote, please  contact Dr. Alon Leibovitz at 917-647-8142.

Dr. Leibovitz has worked with children in a variety of capacities for over 20 years,  and for the last 2 years as a Pediatrician. Parents have come to respect his pleasant and effective bed side manner. He is a member of FAAP,Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Section on Hospital Medicine.  Dr. Leibovitz has a talent  for making “kids medicine simple” to understand.  He was the first Resident to start a pilot Teaching program, where new doctors learn how best to educate other fellow residents as well as the families and patients they treat. Dr. Leibovitz's website: www.kidsmedicinemadesimple.com  is combining his passion for medicine and teaching and providing parents access to Kids Medical issues in a simple to understand format.

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Dr Leibovitz passion for educating parents and their children about their children medical issues in an easy to understand fashion was something he wanted to provide more families. In hopes to calm the unnecessary anxiety that is brought upon when medical information is explained in terms parents can not understand this company has made every effort to provide medical content to parents with out all the medical jargon. Mission:Our Company believes that all parents deserve an opportunity for Medical Information to be explained in a simple easy to understand format. It is the mission of this company to do what ever we can via media to educate parents and children about medical issues in hopes of improving medical compliance and as a result having healthier children and families. We provide Medical Information for parents to understand in simple medical language via downloadable guides, videos and seminars. The Company started December 2010.