Cleaner Injuries Drop; Sprays Cause 40%

Child injuries from home cleaning products have dropped by almost half since 1990, a new study finds. But the injury rate from cleaners in spray bottles has remained steady. Products in spray bottles caused 40% of the injuries, the study found. Researchers used data on 267,000 children ages 5 and under who had these types of injuries. All were treated in emergency rooms between 1990 and 2006. About 72% of the children were 1 to 3 years old. Bleach was the most common chemical linked to an injury. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it August 2. Safety guidelines include keeping cleaning products locked up. Experts interviewed by HealthDay offered other tips. They said you should always close a container even if you are going to use it again in a minute.