Soap-free sanitizing

THE start of the school year often brings sniffles and stomach bugs, but a simple hand cleaner could cut the sickness toll. New research shows that alcohol-based hand sanitizers can significantly reduce the spread of gastrointestinal illness and may also protect against respiratory infections.

“Hand sanitizers reduce bacteria counts on hands more than just washing,” says Thomas J. Sandora, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Boston who led the research. “And they are a good alternative to hand washing when you don’t have convenient access to soap and water.”

Although the gel can effectively kill most germs, soap and water are necessary to remove visible dirt.

Sandora and colleagues studied 292 families in Massachusetts with at least one child in day care. Half the families were given hand sanitizers and told to use the gel before preparing food and after changing diapers or going to the toilet. These families had a 59% lower incidence of gastrointestinal illness compared with families that did not use sanitizer.

Families who used the most gel -- approximately four to five uses a day -- were also 20% less likely to spread respiratory illnesses. Sandora says this finding may not be as robust as the reduction in stomach illnesses because people are less likely to use hand sanitizer after respiratory events, such as wiping a child’s nose. The research was reported in the September issue of Pediatrics.