A report has said nickel in an iPad may have caused a skin reaction in an 11-year-old boy. Have you ever had an allergic reaction to one of your gadgets?

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Could you be allergic to your iPad?

It's unlikely, but it's an issue which has raised its head in a recently-released report, which said nickel in the first-generation version of the iPad may have triggered an allergic skin reaction in an 11-year-old boy.

The report, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics this week, centred around an 11-year-old boy treated at a San Diego hospital for an initially unexplained skin rash. Dermatologists Dr Sharon Jacob and Dr Shehla Admani studied the reaction for six months before discovering the boy was allergic to nickel.

According to the report, the boy's iPad, which was a first-generation version of the gadget, tested positive for nickel and the rashes subsided when the boy began using an iPad cover.

Reuters reports that Apple has defended the safety of its products. In a statement, the company said: "“We have found that allergies like the one reported in this case are extremely rare.

"Apple products are made from the highest quality materials and meet the same strict standards set for jewellery by both the US Consumer Safety Product Commission and their counterparts in Europe."

Being allergic to nickel is fairly common and mostly affects people when it comes to jewellery and zippers. This report acknowledges contact dermatitis has been previously linked to laptops and phones, but not to iPads.

Over to you: have you ever been allergic to technology? Whether it's physical or just an aversion to tech (we understand Twitter isn't for everyone …) let us know your tech allergies in the comments below.