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Hair relaxers: a benign caustic ingestion?
Stefanie P Aronow1, Herbert D Aronow, Thomas Blanchard
1Departmet of Peidatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|December 25, 2002
Summary
Hair relaxer ingestions are common in children, often causing drooling and emesis. Despite the product's high pH, studies show no significant esophageal or gastric injury or long-term issues in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Toxicology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Caustic ingestions pose a significant risk to children, with hair relaxers being a frequent cause.
- Current management often involves upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
- Limited data exist on the specific outcomes of pediatric hair relaxer ingestions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of hair relaxer ingestions in children.
- To assess the incidence of upper gastrointestinal injury.
- To evaluate for adverse clinical sequelae following ingestion.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of pediatric caustic ingestions from 1990-2001.
- Inclusion of data from a study cohort and pooled existing literature.
- Analysis focused on endoscopic findings and clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- Hair relaxer ingestions constituted 30% of the study cohort.
- The most common symptoms were drooling and emesis; oropharyngeal injury was most frequent.
- Endoscopy revealed only Grade I esophageal and gastric mucosal injuries, with no severe damage or adverse clinical events.
Conclusions:
- Hair relaxer ingestion is the most common pediatric caustic ingestion at a major tertiary care center.
- While symptoms like drooling and emesis are common, significant esophageal or gastric injury is rare.
- No long-term adverse outcomes were identified, suggesting a favorable prognosis despite the product's alkalinity.