For Immediate Release
Below is a highlight of a study that appeared Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. (ET) on the March PEDIATRICS electronic pages, the Internet extension of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Members of the media may obtain the full text of this study by e-mailing the AAP Division of Public Relations at [email protected] and asking for CE3-97. The complete study also is available on PEDIATRICS electronic pages at http://www.pediatrics.org.
GAS CAN DESIGN, STORAGE POSE BURN HAZARD TO CHILDREN
CHICAGO--Parents who store gasoline in safety cans rather than the more popular rectangular metal gasoline cans may prevent burn deaths and injuries to young children, according to a study on the electronic version of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Gasoline stored in red metal gas cans may easily tip over as children play with them or, due to their design, may leak fumes or fuel. One gallon of gasoline contains the explosive force of 20 sticks of dynamite say the researchers from Childrens Hospital Medical Center of Akron, Ohio, and Childrens Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. The researchers collected data on 25 children younger than 6 years of age with gasoline burns and found boys just over 2.5 years old are at extreme risk, accounting for 95 percent of the cases studied. In 64 percent of the cases, the gas can was described as closed. Only vapors were ignited in 56 percent of cases, and in every case, the source of ignition was the pilot light from a natural gas-powered hot water heater or clothes dryer. In warmer climates, hot water heaters are more likely to be in utility rooms, breezeways or in the garage, increasing the likelihood of gasoline being stored nearby. National building codes and better gas can specifications are needed to prevent these deaths and horrific, disfiguring injuries which require multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation, the authors conclude.
EDITORS NOTE: This study appeared on the peer-reviewed, scientific electronic pages of the American Academy of Pediatrics, but does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the Academy. The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 51,000 pediatricians dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
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