Accidental poisoning and overdose is a horrible tragedy. Infants and Children under 5 are most likely to be victims of accidental poisoning and overdose because they are naturally curious and often put things in their mouths. According to poison control, over half of the 2.4 million cases of poisonings reported a year involve children less than 5 years of age. Accidental poisoning can happen at any time, and anywhere, so it is important to be aware of the hazards and take care in storing and giving medications.
Everyday household items and medications that are not often thought of as dangerous can cause harm to young children. Often household items are packaged to look like food or drink and it can be confusing to a toddler. For example, pine sol resembles apple juice and the new laundry detergent pods can look like candy. Other items that you might not think of as dangerous are dishwasher detergent pods, toilet bowl cleaners, windshield wiper fluid, pesticides, drain cleaners and antifreeze.
There are some easy things you can do to help prevent poisonings. Keep all household products and medicines out of reach and locked up. When you are using these products, don’t turn your back on a child, for example to go answer the door or the phone, as most poisoning is done while the product is in use. Do not store your cleaning supplies in the same area where you store food, and keep them in their original containers. Never put a household cleaner in an old food container such as a milk jug or soda bottle.
When giving your child medication, be sure you talk to other household members so that they know you have given medication to avoid double dosing. It is a good idea to have one parent in charge of medications so there is no confusion. Always turn the light on when you are giving your child medication so that you can be sure of the medication that you are giving your child, and that the dosing is correct. Do not call medicine candy as young children cannot tell the difference between candy and medications.
It is also important to teach your children not to eat mushrooms, plants, or berries that grow in the yard. Some of these can be poisonous, or they can be sprayed with a poisonous pesticide. Supervision is always important, but accidents do happen, and people do make mistakes. It is a good idea to have poison control’s phone number handy in case of emergency and act quickly if you think a child has been poisoned. Acting quickly can save a life.