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Preventing Poisonings
Poison Control - 1-800-876-4766
But if symptoms are serious - call 9-1-1!!!
Childhood poisoning is a hazard often overlooked by patients and caregivers. Commonly used products such as cosmetics, detergents and medicines can be fatal to young children if left within their reach. Even innocent looking items like household plants and vitamin supplements can poison a child in less than a minute. And commonly used products such as cosmetics, detergents and medicines can be fatal to young children if left within their reach.
Annually, more than 1.1 million unintentional poisonings among children ages 5 and under are reported to U.S. poison control centers.
Curiosity is a natural stage of your child's development, but it also puts her at greater risk of unintentional poisoning. In 2001 more than 1.1 million such poisonings among children ages 5 and under were reported to U.S. poison control centers. In 2000, 91 children ages 14 and under died from poisoning incidents. Although household cleaners are a frequent cause of poisoning, kids can also be fatally poisoned by iron, alcohol and carbon monoxide.
Child-resistant packaging, product reformulation and interventions by poison control centers and health professionals all helped reduce the childhood poison-related death rate 38 percent from 1987 to 1998. By reducing the opportunity for poisonings and knowing how to keep innocent mistakes from turning into tragedies, you can help that number decline even further.
“Children ages 5 and under are particularly vulnerable to poisonings due to their curiosity and natural desire to put everything into their mouths,” said Heather Paul, Ph.D., executive director of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. “Many poisonings can be prevented if parents simply lock poisonous products out of children’s reach.”
Poison prevention tips:
Keep poisonous products out of reach. Storing potentially harmful products out of sight and reach — in cabinets with safety locks — is one of the best ways to prevent poisonings.
Know which household products are poisonous. Something as common as mouthwash can be poisonous due to its alcohol content if a child swallows a large amount.
Stay alert while using poisonous household products. Many poisonings occur while adults are using a household product like a bathroom cleaner or bleach. Adults should know where children are when these products are in use. Never leave a child alone in a room with a poisonous product. It takes only seconds for a poisoning to occur.
Never refer to medicine or vitamins as candy. Referring to medicine as candy could cause a child to think that it is harmless or pleasant to eat. Since children tend to mimic adults, avoid taking medications in front of them. Vitamins, particularly those containing iron, can also be poisonous to children. Keep them out of your child's reach at all times and carefully monitor their use.
Throw away old medicines and other potential poisons. Discard old medicines on a regular basis by flushing them down the toilet. Check your garage, basement and other common storage areas for cleaning and work supplies that you do not use or no longer need and dispose of these items.
Beware of certain cosmetics and personal products. In addition to medicines, children may be tempted to taste cosmetics and personal care products. Store items such as after-shave, cologne, perfume, hair spray, shampoo, artificial fingernail remover and fingernail polish remover out of reach.
Keep products in original containers. Never put potentially poisonous products in something other than their original container where they could be mistaken for something harmless.
Buy child-resistant packaging. Child-resistant caps do not guarantee that children cannot open a container, but they do deter children and increase the time that you have to stop them before they swallow a poison.
Keep poisonous plants out of reach. Learn which plants in and around your house are poisonous, and either remove them or make them inaccessible to children. Teach children never to put leaves, stems, bark, seeds, nuts or berries from any plant into their mouths. Household plants that are often involved with poisonings are dumbcane or dieffenbachia, philodendron and pothos or devil's ivy.
Install carbon monoxide detectors in the home. Install CO detectors in your home in every sleeping area, and on the ceiling at least 15 feet from fuel-burning appliances. Ensure that space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are vented properly and inspected annually. If your family experiences symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning (often similar to flu symptoms) get into fresh air and call for medical help immediately.
If your home was built before 1978, have it tested for lead-based paint. It is estimated that 890,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 have elevated blood lead levels from ingesting dust from deteriorating lead-based paint and other sources of lead. Cover lead paint with a sealant or hire a professional abatement company to remove the paint. Wash children’s hands and faces, as wells as toys and pacifiers, frequently to reduce the risk of ingesting lead-contaminated dust.
Teach grandparents and relatives to take precautions. Grandparents' medicines can be very dangerous for children. Grandparents should take appropriate precautions while grandchildren are visiting. Before the visit, ask them to post phone numbers to the local poison control center and their local physician near all of their telephones.
If a poisoning does occur, follow these guidelines:
Be prepared. The American Association of Poison Control Centers has established a new national toll-free hotline, 1-800-222-1222, that connects you directly to your local poison control center. Poison treatment and prevention experts are available at this number 24 hours a day. In addition, keep the phone numbers of the local poison control center, physician and emergency medical service next to each telephone.
Call for help. If you suspect a child has swallowed something, check his or her mouth. Remove any remaining poison from the child’s mouth, then call your local poison control center, physician or other emergency medical services. When calling, bring the container of the ingested substance to the phone with you. Call even if you are not sure that the child was poisoned. The poison center staff or emergency personnel will determine if you need to do anything for the child. Do not give the child anything to treat the poison until you have consulted a poison control center or a health care professional. Vomiting can often aggravate the poisoning and cause even greater long-term damage.
Rinse skin with water. If a poison has come in contact with your child's skin, rinse the skin with running water for 15 minutes. Don't touch the poison. Take off any contaminated clothing. Call the poison control center or emergency medical service immediately.
Flush eyes with water. If a poison has gotten into your child's eyes, gently hold his or her eyelids open and pour cool water into them for 15 minutes. Do not let the child rub his or her eyes, and do not put the child's head directly under a faucet to irrigate the eyes. Once again, call the poison control center or emergency medical service immediately.
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign urges parents and caregivers to eliminate hidden household poisons. Storing household cleaners, medicines and vitamins locked away and out of reach is a smart and simple safety intervention that can save your child's life.
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign offers a brochure with poison prevention tips for parents, as well as a 10-point checklist in both English and Spanish. For more information, call the Campaign at 202/662-0600.
