Keep all medicines and cleaning products out of reach
Several years ago it was reported that 52,000 children under age 6 were treated in Emergency Rooms for medication poisoning in 2017. While this was a decrease compared to previous years, it is still quite a large number. Unfortunately, calls to Poison Control Centers increased dramatically in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A combination of more kids at home and increased use of disinfectants had fueled this increase. Misinformation caused many adults to consume cleaning products during this time period as well. For the purposes of this post, I will be focusing on poison prevention in children.
Why is it so easy for children to have a toxic exposure or ingestion? Accidental ingestion of any toxic substance occurs for many reasons. These include easy access, packaging that is not childproof, kid friendly appearance of medications or packaging that look like candy, and plain old curiosity. Furthermore, visiting friends and family presents risks that parents often overlook. 10-20% of accidental ingestion in children involve the grandparent’s medication. Sometimes accidental overdoses occur from incorrect measuring of liquid medication, leading to incorrect dosing.
Pediatricians love to talk to families about safety. We talk about baby proofing, safe sleep, car seats, and water safety to name a few. We also need to also remind parents about reducing exposure to toxic substances. This includes medication. Any medication, including vitamins, can be toxic for young children. Children are smaller than adults, setting them up for a higher chance of toxicity from what may seem like a normal dose of medication for an adult.
Industry has helped a lot to improve safety. The invention of childproof caps helped decrease accidental ingestion. However, parents still play a role in making sure caps are put on correctly and all medications are stored out of reach. Visitors may not have their medications in childproof bottles so it’s important to remind them to keep their medications out of reach as well. A new project is to reduce overdose of liquid medications. The PROTECT initiative (Prevention of Overdoses and Treatment Errors in Children Taskforce) is looking at adding flow restrictors to bottles of liquid acetaminophen.
What can parents do?
- Store all medications, cleaning products, laundry detergents, pesticides, paint, etc.. in locked cabinets that are out of reach.
- Use safety latches on cabinets.
- Make sure all medications have childproof caps and they are tightened properly. Always discard unused medication (pharmacies will often take them).
- Read labels carefully and measure all liquid medication in ml with a medication syringe. DO NOT use kitchen spoons to measure medication.
- Avoid calling medication candy and do not store medications or other non-food items in the pantry with food.
- Be aware that swallowed magnets, button batteries and coins are very dangerous so be sure to keep these stored in a secure and hard to reach location.
How should parents treat an ingestion or exposure?
- CALL POISON CONTROL AT 1-800-222-1222
- Do not give ipecac or induce vomiting.
- Take child immediately to the Emergency Room if you suspect a swallowed button battery or magnet.
- Soak skin with lukewarm water for 15 minutes if topical exposure and rinse eye with room temperature water for 15 minutes if eye exposure