Essential oils can be dangerous to kids

CHILDREN are increasingly at risk from essential oils that are often used in natural remedies, according to a news release by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Between 2011 and last year, reports of toxic exposure to these oils doubled, the centre said. Even more alarming, four out of every five cases were in children. Essential oils, like camphor, clove, lavender, eucalyptus, thyme, tea tree, and wintergreen oils, are normally plant-based and used widely in aromatherapy and homeopathy.

These oils can cause harm when consumed and children are more at risk than adults.

“The rule of thumb in toxicology is ‘the dose makes the poison,’ so all essential oils are potentially harmful,” said Dr Justin Loden, a certified specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre’s Tennessee Poison Centre.

“In children, poisoning typically occurs when they try to swallow the oil, but choke so that a little of it goes into the lungs, which causes pneumonia; it only takes less than half a teaspoonful to do that. This hazard applies to every essential oil,” Loden said in the university news release.

He added that children have also been poisoned by excessive or inappropriate application of essential oils to the skin, since their skin is thinner and can absorb dangerous amounts. Children may also try to swallow the oils, which often have a pleasant smell, but then they choke due to the bitter taste and send the oil down in- to their airways and their lungs, Loden said.

Many essential oils can cause symptoms such as agitation, hallucination and seizures. Symptoms may also include chemical burns, breathing problems, liver failure and brain swelling, among others. While there are hundreds of essential oils, “tea tree oil is commonly cited, and most of those cases are accidental ingestions by children,” Loden said.