BANGALORE: If you have an iPad, get it checked as it might contain nickel which is an allergy introducing metals. According to a report published by American Academy of Pediatrics, nickel present in first generation iPad is likely to introduce skin rashes. An unidentified 11-year old boy in San Francisco was the first victim reports Reuters.

The dermatologists studied the boy for more than six months under treatment but his body did not respond to any of the medications. They later discovered that the allergy was caused by nickel which is a metal used in the manufacturing of iPad bodies. The rashes from nickel are highly uncomfortable and can lead to infections.

The boy started recovering when he used covered iPad, where the metallic body of the device did not come in contact with his body. . The doctors traced that the allergy was caused by nickel, a metal use in the production of iPads.   The dermatologists suggested that iPads with covers can prevent the allergy..

Chris Gaither, the spokesperson of Apple, while defending the company products said that, Apple products are made from the highest quality materials and meet the same strict standards set for jewelry by both the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission and their counterparts in Europe. We rigorously test our products to make sure they are safe for all our customers, he added.

There are other sources of nickel exposures like laptops, cell phones, toys, piercings and dental work that can affect children. However it is not confirmed that the nickel coating present in first generation iPads is the only devices causing the allergy as nickel is also used in the manufacturing of other electronic devices. This was the first time when an iPad was found to be the source of nickel allergy in children, wrote the dermatologists   in their report.