is it safe to use hand sanitizer on babies for swine flu prevention?

Good question...I don't use it on my little one (almost 4 mo) 'cuz I feel like they are too harsh. I stick with baby wash and warm water. When she is older and mobile, I may start using it as her skin should become tougher as she starts to explore new textures, etc. Not sure how old that will be yet. I also wouldn't want her to ingest it while sucking on her hands...

I've heard that hand sanitizer can be very dangerous for children that like to put their hands in their mouths. I probably wouldn't use it on anyone younger than 1.

Think about what an infant touches say versus a child. An infant should not be touching lots of public surfaces so they shouldnt need it. If your shopping eating ect just sanitize the surface they will be in contact with, maybe buy some bleach wipes to carry. Then use a regular baby wipe to do quick cleanings and soap and water when avalible. Now a child, starting around age 2, gets very mobile and touches everything so perhaps starting it then.
The proper way to use sanitizer is to use enough to coat the hands then allow them to air dry. Its not toooo dangerous for a toddler to injest a tiny amount, like what they would get just barely licking a small amount left on their hands. When my dd was 9mos she took a sip from the bottle- i immediately called poison control- they said unless she acts sick or intoxicated not to worry, she didnt and she is fine!
I also bleach surfaces in my house, spray other surfaces, and keep sanitizer in my car for me so I dont spread it to baby. (especially grocery store and gas station- yuk)

Hand sanitizers can be dangerous for infants and young children. If they put their hand in their mouths, as infants do, they end up eating the sanitizer. Hand sanitizers are made with alcohol, which is dangerous if consumed by babies or children.

I read a story about a little girl in preschool. Her preschool teacher had all the kids use hand sanitizer but before it was rubbed in and dry, the little girl put her hands in her mouth. She ended up with a blood alcohol level four times higher than the safe level for adults.

I have never sanitized anything for my daughter and she is perfectly healthy. We don't use antibacterial products either. At four months old (and a formula baby) she fought the flu. My husband was very sick but still spent time with her and she didn't get sick at all. (Neither did I.) Her immune system is strong because she's been exposed to germs. We've never used a shopping cart cover, never worried when she chews on a tablecloth or table at a restaurant and she is constantly eating cereal she's thrown on the floor.

Sanitizing and antibacterial products do not kill 100% of germs and the ones they don't kill just become stronger. That's why we now have so many antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The more we use these products the stronger and more harmful these bacteria become.

I understand the importance of keeping out children healthy, but there are better ways to do it. Make sure people wash their hands before touching your baby and don't let strangers in stores touch or breathe on your child.

Sanitizing gel is really convenient when your kid has just picked up a dirty tissue or old chewing gum from the sidewalk but I've heard that washing with soap and water is safer and more effective than using sanitizing products, too. I doubt that babies are going to touch a lot of things containing swine flu virus. Besides, I think swine flu is mostly transmitted through breathing, not touching surfaces. I'm a little uncomfortable when I spend time with toddlers who don't seem to have the word "wash" in their vocabularies but "sanitize" constantly and I heard about another 2-year-old who got alcohol poisoning from drinking hand sanitizer from the bathroom counter. I'm also wary of the additives, perfumes etc. that are in a lot of those products and especially of encouraging super germs! I'd stick with wiping the baby's hands with a clean washcloth if possible.

I use baby wipes in a pinch. Soap and water is definatly safer. I checked the preschooler story on Snoopes when I got it on an email. It is true. Hand sanitizer is VERY dangerous for young children who may lick their hands or put them in their mouths. It can cause alcohol poisoning and even death with a very small amount.