Use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizing gel can reduce the spread of gastrointestinal infections in the home, according to a recent study by Children’s Hospital Boston.

The study recruited 292 Boston families with children in day care. Half were given hand sanitizer while the remainder received only nutritional information. Both groups reported similar hand-washing rates on an initial questionnaire.

The sanitizer group had a 59 percent lower incidence of GI infections and 20 percent fewer respiratory illnesses.

– Markian Hawryluk