Hong Kong’s first survey on children’s sense of touch: Close to 70% of parents concerned about children’s stunted growth from deprivation of physical touch

Hygiene concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to drastically reduced children's exposure to the outside world. This was corroborated by the survey findings of 300 Hong Kong parents of children aged between 2 and 5 years. The surveyed parents typically cautioned their children against touching objects and other people, including things in public areas (e.g., banisters, lift buttons, door handles, and railings etc.) (78%); strangers (74%), things on the street (e.g., goods at supermarkets or shops) (69%), playground facilities (e.g., slides, swings, climbing frames, ball pits, merry-go-rounds etc.) (51%), as well as flora and fauna in nature or outdoor areas (e.g., grassland, beaches, stray animals etc.) (49%). Additionally, 70% of surveyed parents said that they avoided touching or hugging their young children before disinfection upon arriving home.

Multisensory learning method incorporating the haptic exploration of different objects could positively enhance the learning effectiveness of young children[4]. In the survey, 70% of parents said their children loved touching objects around them. However, more than 60% of parents said they would intervene when their children were about to touch something or some people that seemed unhygienic, such as calling out to stop them[5] and immediately disinfecting their hands. The parents' instant reactions may unwittingly suppress their children's desire to explore their surroundings and may even cause them to associate negatively with connecting with the outside world.

The lack of interpersonal touch could severely impact the social and cognitive development of young children[6]. Close to 70% of surveyed parents were concerned that touch deprivation would lead to stunted growth in their young children. During the pandemic, they observed the varying degrees of impact on their children's personality, psychological development, language development, interpersonal skills, and learning ability. Some parents said that their children became more inhibited, unsociable, bashful, and easier to be frightened, with some reporting that their children became easily startled whenever someone approached them, and they seemed to struggle to relax regardless of circumstances.

63% of parents insisted on completing a minimum of two disinfection steps before touching their children; 80% of parents hoped their children could maintain personal hygiene habits after pandemic

The survey has found that 63% of parents insisted on touching their children only after completing at least two steps or more of the disinfection process, which involved washing their hands with handwash (69%), taking a shower (58%), and changing their clothes (56%). Children have acquired a certain level of hygiene awareness from their parents during the pandemic. For example, 75% of young children have learnt to clean their hands proactively, and 55% would wash their hands for an average of six times or more daily. Up to 80% of parents hoped their children could continue the personal hygiene habits after the pandemic to prevent the threat of other viruses. Hygiene issues were often the cause of conflicts between the surveyed parents and other family members, with such conflicts more frequent with their elderly parents and in-laws (47%) and spouse (38%). The findings show that better communication is needed to help the family as a whole to reach a consensus on hygiene standards.

Reckitt and Dettol to 'Seize the Childhood' and support over 10,000 families in need

"As a father of three, I can empathise with the surveyed parents for the concerns and anxiety they have had during the pandemic. While physical distancing could help contain the spread of the virus, it also reduced the opportunities for young children to explore their surroundings. Finding the right balance here is crucial to the healthy development of children," said Boudewijn Feith, Reckitt General Manager Hong Kong/Taiwan. "At Reckitt, we put people first and we are committed to providing our consumers with high-quality hygiene protection in pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world with one of the most trusted antiseptic brands, Dettol. In response to the Global Handwashing Day on 15 October, Reckitt and our brand Dettol launch the 'Seize the Childhood and Keep On to Protect Our Future' campaign at PARKnSHOP stores. We believe that consistent personal hygiene habits will give parents the peace of mind to let their children explore the world, unlock their potential, and enjoy a happy and healthy childhood."

During the promotion period from tomorrow (14 October) to 15 December, with any purchase of Dettol personal care products of a designated amount at PARKnSHOP stores in Hong Kong and Macau, consumers will entitle to a cash coupon that can be used in the next purchase. Meanwhile, Dettol will donate hygiene and disinfectant products to Reckitt's network of Hong Kong charity partners³, expected to benefit over 10,000 families in need. The amount of rebate and donation will be doubled on 15 October to celebrate the Global Handwashing Day.

For every Like on designated campaign posts on Dettol Hong Kong's Facebook page during the promotion period, or every photo uploaded that meets the requirements, Dettol will donate products worth of HKD/MOP 1 or HKD/MOP 10 respectively to support children at families in need to grow healthily. For more details, please visit Dettol Hong Kong's Facebook page.

Hashtag: #Reckitt