EMERGENCY INFORMATION:
If your child is unconscious, not breathing, or having a
seizure, call 911 immediately.
Otherwise, at the first sign that your child has been poisoned,
call the American Association of Poison Control Centers'
national emergency hotline at (800) 222-1222, which will
automatically redirect you to your local poison control
center. Local lines are staffed 24 hours a day by registered
pharmacists, nurses, and doctors with special training in answering
poisoning crisis calls and routine questions about household
poisons.
Protect your child from accidental
poisoning
Children, especially very young ones, explore the world by putting things
in their mouths. That's one reason more than 1 million children under the
age of 6 are victims of accidental poisonings each year. You can keep your
family safe by identifying and locking up toxic materials and knowing what
to do if your child touches, inhales, or swallows a poison.
How can I tell which substances are
poisonous?
Not all hazardous substances are obvious. For example, never leave baby
oil or any other such products within your baby's reach - in a few cases
infants have died from getting baby oil in their lungs.
Conduct a room-by-room inventory of non-food substances, and make sure
poisons are clearly labeled and locked out of reach of children. If you don't
know if a product is poisonous, check the label or call the American Association
of Poison Control Centers' hotline at (800) 222-1222.
These are some of the hazardous substances most commonly ingested by
children under age six:
-
Cosmetics and personal care products
-
Household plants, especially philodendron
-
Cough and cold medicines
-
Vitamin supplements, especially iron pills
-
Cleaning products including dishwashing detergent, drain
cleaner, oven cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, and rust remover
-
Analgesics pain killers such as acetaminophen or aspirin
taken at an inappropriate dosage
-
Prescription drugs, especially antidepressants
and time-release drugs
-
Paint thinner, paint remover, kerosene, and lighter fluids
-
Pesticides
|
How can I make sure that my child does
not get hold of
any harmful
substances?
Start poison-proofing your house before your baby is born.
You'd be surprised how fast your child could learn to climb cupboards
or open child-resistant caps.
Lock up all medicines and harmful substances. Secure all
cupboards that contain poisons, even those that seem out of reach.
Poison experts have seen plenty of young children who dragged
a chair over to a kitchen counter, climbed onto the counter or
even the refrigerator, and opened a cupboard near the ceiling.
Your child may be able to do something like this before you know
it.
Don't trust child-resistant containers. They aren't childproof.
No bottle top can be made so secure that a child can't find some
way to get it off. It's not unusual for a 2-year-old, left alone
for 30 minutes, to break down the best devices of the
manufacturer.
Keep medicines, pesticides, even detergents in their original
containers. Never put poisonous or toxic products in containers
that were once used for food. Poison centers have heard all too
many horror stories of a toxic liquid in an unmarked container
being mistaken for apple juice.
Never refer to any kind of medicine as candy. Even if you're
trying to get a reluctant child to take cough syrup, don't treat
it as something good to eat. Children learn by imitation, so
take your own medicine when they aren't watching.
Read the labels on all household products before buying
them, and try to use the least toxic ones. Among the household
products generally considered less hazardous are non-chlorine
bleaches, vinegar, borax, beeswax, mineral oil, and compressed
air drain openers rather than corrosive liquids.
What should I do if I think my child
has swallowed
something dangerous?
Know who to call in case of a poisoning and post the number
near your phone. Do it now, before an emergency occurs.
If your child is unconscious, not breathing, or having a
seizure, call 911 immediately.
Otherwise, at the first sign that your child has been poisoned,
call the American Association of Poison Control Centers'
national emergency hotline at (800) 222-1222, which will
automatically redirect you to your local poison control
center. Local lines are staffed 24 hours a day by registered
pharmacists, nurses, and doctors with special training in answering
poisoning crisis calls and routine questions about household
poisons.
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