Avoiding Essential Oil Poisonings

The late 1990s saw the art of aromatherapy grow from the lowly status of a quaint hobby practiced by a few herbalists to a full-blown fad practiced by professionals and laypersons alike. But with this rise in popularity also came a dramatic increase in accidental poisonings resulting from ingestion of the volatile organic compounds aromatherapists call essential oils.

Whether you work with essential oils professionally, or simply keep them in your home as natural air fresheners, it's essential that you understand the risks that botanical extracts pose to you and your family.

How Common Is Essential Oil Poisoning?

Between 1994 and 1999, Europe experienced a 14-fold increase in poisonings caused by aromatherapy products. And things aren't any better in Australia. A survey of emergency room records found in only a two-month span, more than 1500 Australian children were admitted with symptoms of essential oil poisonings.

Unfortunately, when it comes to essential oil poisonings, infants and toddlers are disproportionately represented. Not only are children of this age more likely to consume essential oils; they're more likely to suffer serious medical problems as a result.

Among the most cited essential oils in respect to accidental poisonings include citronella, clove, eucalyptus, tea tree and wintergreen.

How Poisonous Are Essential Oils, Really?

How much essential oil does a child have to ingest? A 15-month-old body from the UK experienced liver failure after consuming only 10 ml. of clove oil. And in 1995, a Seattle preschooler had to be intubated by paramedics after consuming what his mother called a "small amount" of tea tree oil.

If those cases sound frightening, they should. It takes only 4 ml (that's less than half a typical bottle) of wintergreen to kill a child. In fact, one teaspoon (about 5 mil) of wintergreen oil contains the amount of salicylate found in 21 adult-dose aspirins.

How To Protect Your Child From Essential Oil Poisoning

The most important thing you can do to protect your child is to educate yourself about essential oils and their potential dangers. Then, if you still feel that essential oils have a place in your home, consider treating them as you would any other potentially toxic substance. Buy essential oils only in fully-labeled bottles with childproof caps and resist the urge to replace the caps with eyedroppers, nebulizing sprayers or easy-open lids.

When it comes to storage, consider keeping your essential oils in the same locked cabinet that houses your prescription medications. Essential oils may be exempt from the labeling laws that govern over-the-counter medications but that doesn't mean that they're any safer.

Remember, "natural" doesn't automatically mean "safe". Learn the facts about essential oils and protect your children from potentially fatal poisonings.

References:

Janes, S., Price, C., Thomas, D. (2005). Essential oil poisoning: N-acetylcysteine for eugenol-induced hepatic failure and analysis of a national database.

Del Beccaro, M. (1995). Melaleuca oil poisoning in a 17-month-old.

Botma, M., Colquhoun-Flannery, W., Leighton, S. (2001). Laryngeal oedema caused by accidental ingestion of Oil of Wintergreen.

Reith, D., Pitt, W., Hockey, R. (2001). Childhood poisoning in Queensland: An analysis of presentation and admission rates.