Cosmetic-Related Injuries Treated in US Emergency Departments: 2002 to 2016

Abstract

A retrospective analysis was conducted by using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for children <5 years who were treated in US emergency departments (EDs) from 2002-2016) for a cosmetic-related injury. An estimated 64 686 (95% confidence interval = 53 037-76 335) children were treated in EDs for cosmetic-related injuries during the 15-year study period. There was no significant change in the rate (slope = 1.1 per 10 000 children per year, P = .95) of injuries over the study period. Injuries were most commonly associated with nail care (28.3%), hair care (27.0%), skin care (25.0%), and fragrance (12.7%) products. Children aged <2 years were most frequently injured (59.3%), and poisoning was the most common diagnosis (86.2%). To our knowledge, this is the first study to use a nationally representative sample to describe the epidemiology of cosmetic-related injuries among children aged <5 years. Unintentional exposure to cosmetics is an important source of injury for young children.