title: Extremely elevated relative risk of paraffin lamp oil exposures in Orthodox Jewish children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In observance of the Sabbath and other religious holidays, many Orthodox Jews maintain a burning lamp that uses paraffin lamp oil as fuel. Unintentional pediatric exposure to paraffin lamp oil, a hydrocarbon, is typically by ingestion and carries a risk of aspiration with subsequent pneumonitis. This investigation was prompted by an apparent increase in paraffin lamp oil exposures during the Jewish Sabbath, from sunset Friday until sunset Saturday, noted by the staff of our regional poison control center.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this investigation, we retrospectively reviewed all exposures to paraffin lamp oil occurring in our large city in children <18 years old reported to our regional poison control center between January 1, 2000, and February 1, 2003. Reports were investigated to ascertain the frequency of occurrence of paraffin lamp oil exposures on the Jewish Sabbath and Jewish religious holidays. Caregivers of involved children were surveyed by telephone to determine the exposed child's religion and circumstances of exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During these 25 months, 45 cases met inclusion criteria, and all were ingestions. Orthodox Jews accounted for 32 cases (71%), 4 cases (9%) occurred in children who were not Orthodox Jews, and demographic data were unavailable in 9 cases (20%). Twenty-four cases (53%) occurred within 10 hours before or during the Jewish Sabbath or Jewish religious holidays. The relative risk of Orthodox Jewish children to ingest paraffin lamp oil, calculated by using census data, is 374 times that of other children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Public health authorities and caregivers of Orthodox Jewish children should be cognizant of this phenomenon. Educational efforts directed toward both Orthodox Jews and the general public aimed at preventing paraffin lamp oil exposures are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA. rjhoffman@pol.net
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgenstern
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Lewis S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007585:Jews / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007599:Judaism; D008029:Lighting; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009821:Oils / Q000506:poisoning*; D010232:Paraffin; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D009821:Oils; D010232:Paraffin; C015418:paraffin oils