Children are naturally curious. Their curiosity is how they learn about the world around them. They also like to copy what they see adults doing. These aren’t bad traits in children, but accidents can happen because of curiosity and emulation. Every year in the US, 50,000 emergency room visits involve unsupervised children ingesting medications. One and two year old children are involved in 75% of these visits. Tips for preventing accidental poisoning: 1. Always keep vitamins, over the counter and prescription medicines out of sight and out of reach. 2. Keep all medications in their original bottles. Medication bottles should all be child resistant. Remember “child-resistant” is not “child-proof”. Weekly pill dividers are usually NOT child resistant and are sometimes left on counters and tables where children can reach them. 3. Remind visiting grandparents, friends or guests who may not normally take such precautions, to take them when around children. 4. Teach children about medicine. Never refer to medicine as “candy”. Teach them to only ever take medicine that is given to them by a parent or another adult caring for them. 5. Unintentional medication ingestion can cause children to collapse, have trouble (or stop) breathing or have a seizure. If you see any of these things in a child, call 911 immediately. In less emergent situations where ingestion is suspected, gather pill bottles and call the POISON HELP LINE (1-800-222-1222). This number should be posted in your home, near your phone and in your cell phone. Unintentional medication ingestion can cause children to collapse, have trouble (or stop) breathing or have a seizure. If you see any of these things in a child, call 911 immediately. In less emergent situations where ingestion is suspected, gather pill bottles and call the POISON HELP LINE (1-800-222-1222). This number should be posted in your home, near your home phone and in your cell phone.
Chris Stucke