Tips on keeping your child safe from poisonous substances.
Childhood Poisonings-Prevention is the Key ,Angel Bivens, R.Ph., MBA, CSPI Public Education Coordinator Maryland Poison Center
Childhood poisonings are not something parents think about until it happens to their child. What would you do if you found your 2 year old daughter having a tea party with her teddy bear using the cough medicine for tea? Would you know to call the Maryland Poison Center? Would you be able to find the phone number right away?
The Maryland Poison Center, staffed by pharmacists and nurses, provides telephone consultation for the public as well as for health care professionals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They can help with unintentional and intentional drug ingestions. Other calls handled by the Maryland Poison Center involve exposures to household chemicals, cleaning products and personal care products, drug information and identification, ingestion of foreign bodies (toys, plants, silica gel), exposures to insecticides and pesticides, and consultation on matters of chemical- and bio-terrorism. Exposures can be on the skin, in the eye, or by ingestion, inhalation, and/or injection.
Each year, the Maryland Poison Center answers approximately 35,000 human exposure calls, 75 percent of which can be handled at home. Over 19,000 exposures involve children under the age of 6 years, while over 2,000 involve children ages 6-12. Why are children under the age of 6 years at such a high risk for unintentional poisonings? First, children are naturally curious. They place things in their mouth to learn about them. Second, look-a-like products easily confuse them. Think about how similar a Sudafed tablet and a Red Hot candy or blue sports drinks and windshield washer fluid look. Third, children imitate adult behavior, a characteristic we encourage with toy kitchens and dress-up time. They do not understand that some adult behavior, like taking acetaminophen for a headache, should not be imitated. Finally, a toddler's world is on a different level than that of an adult. They are closer to the floor allowing them to find dropped medication more easily. The cabinet under the sink is on their eye level. A diaper bag or purse sitting on the floor may contain a hidden treat.
Help keep your family safe by following these simple poison prevention tips: - Always keep the phone number for the Maryland Poison Center close at hand and call immediately if a poisoning has occurred or is suspected. Help from the experts is only a phone call away! - Keep medicines, vitamins and household products out of sight and reach of small children. Use cabinet locks and latches wherever poisonous products are stored. - Use child-resistant containers and caps. Remember that they are not completely childproof! They are meant to slow a child down, but some children will figure out how to get them open, given enough time. - Keep products and medicines in their original containers. Never store non-food items in food containers. Bringing cleaning products home from work in soda bottles may seem like a good idea at the time, but another family member may mistake it for a soda and take a drink. - Read and follow directions and cautions on all medicines and household products. Never mix household products together. - Teach children to never touch or put anything in their mouths unless they ask an adult first.
The Maryland Poison Center has educational materials available to help everyone be aware of the risks and dangers in their homes. Magnets, telephone stickers and Mr. Yuk stickers are available to ensure that the telephone number is available in the event of a poison emergency. For poison information and emergencies, call the Maryland Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. For Mr. Yuk stickers, telephone stickers, magnets and poison prevention brochures, call 410-706-8122.
