Bleach Can Make Children Sick

Most Nigerian households make use of bleach or "jik" as its commonly called to disinfect their houses and living areas and also to make white clothes bright.

But while, keeping your house clean and killing germs with bleach is good, a study suggests that the chemical contained in this cleaning product could leave children more susceptible to catching flu, tonsillitis or other infections.

Interesting right? Yes.

Researchers found a link between a weekly use of bleach in the home and the frequency of infections, particularly respiratory ones.

They concluded that passive exposure to bleach was associated with a 20 per cent increase in the risk of flu in the previous year.

Their findings indicated that the number and frequency of infections were higher among children whose parents regularly used bleach to clean the home.

And as well as being statistically significant for flu and tonsillitis, the risk of any recurrent infection was 18 per cent higher among children whose parents regularly used bleach.

One possible explanation was that the irritant properties of compounds generated during the cleaning process may damage the lining of lung cells, sparking inflammation and making it easier for infections to take hold.

Dr Lidia Casas, of the Centre for Environment and Health in Belgium, who carried out the research, said the study's findings were concerning.

She said:

'The high frequency of use of disinfecting cleaning products, caused by the erroneous belief, reinforced by advertising, that our homes should be free of microbes, makes the modest effects reported in our study of public health concern.

 

'Passive exposure to cleaning bleach in the home may have adverse effects on school-age children's health by increasing the risk of respiratory and other infections.

'The high frequency of use of disinfecting irritant cleaning products may be of public health concern, also when exposure occurs during childhood.

She added: 'Our findings back other studies indicating a link between cleaning products and respiratory symptoms and inflammation.

'Bleach may also potentially suppress the immune system.'

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