Hand Sanitizer Benefits

Here's an interesting study that was done in Spain regarding hand sanitizers.  It appeared on commonline.com.  Read on.

Children who use hand sanitizer to clean their hands  have less sick days and fewer respiratory infections than those who use soap and water according to a recent study in Journal Pediatrics.

Researchers in Spain split 911 day care-aged children into three separate groups – one which used only hand sanitizer, one which used only soap and water, and a third control group which followed its usual hand washing protocols. All three groups attended a hand hygiene workshop at the beginning of the study, with the first two groups receiving additional followup sessions throughout the eight-month study, CNN reports.

During the study period, 5,211 respiratory infections and 5,186 missed days of day care were recorded amongst the 911 children. The hand sanitizer group was absent for 3.25 percent days of day care, while the soap and water group missed 3.9 percent and the control group missed 4.2 percent.

Researchers also found a 23 percent reduction in infections among the group that used hand sanitizer while the group using soap and water saw a 21 percent increased risk of contracting an infection.