A Survey of Children’s Interactions with Their Pets. S. H. Youngren, Novigen Sciences, Inc., Washington, DC; S. Asfoor, M. Rosenthal, and K. Youngren, Monterey High School, Monterey, CA
During children’s play with their pets, they are exposed dermally to any products applied to the pet. There is very little data on how often and to what extent children touch their pets. A video survey was performed to assess the behavior of 19 children between the ages of 1 and 6 and their dogs. Videotape sessions were thirty minutes long. Each child had 2 indoor sessions. Behavior of both children and dogs varied. In some cases, there was continuous interaction between the child and the dog, while in others the child and the dog ignored each other during the entire taping session. The height, weight, age and sex were recorded for both the dogs and the children. The videotapes were reviewed and the following data were collected: number of times child touched dog; length of touching; portion of child’s body touching dog; portion of dog being touched; number of times child placed mouth on dog (i.e., kissing, licking or biting the dog); number of times child placed hand in mouth; number of times child placed hand in mouth directly after the dog was touched. This data will allow refinement of the assumptions proposed by US EPA in their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for use in assessing residential exposures.
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