Tips for preventing poisoning by household chemicals. Read this like your life depends on it.
Poison comes in many different forms: Liquid, powder, sprays and pills to name a few. The first step in poison control is realizing that simple household items are potentially poisonous.
THE MEDICINE CABINET: Remember medicines aren't just things we use to cure headaches, colds and stomach aches. Medicine also includes VITAMINS. If taken improperly, vitamins can result in terrible side affects for adults and can be deadly to your child, even children's vitamins. Keep ALL medicines out of reach of children, INCLUDING VITAMINS and do not allow them to take more than the suggested dosage.
It is VERY important that you keep all medicines (and vitamins) in the original container with the original label. The name of the medicine and expiration date should be visible, as should the doctor's name and the patient's name if it's a prescription drug.
Be sure all medication has a child-proof cap, but don't rely on childproof caps to keep your children safe. Keep all medicines out of reach of children. This is said over and over and ignored just as often. Take it seriously. Medicine should only be used by the prescribed patient. Throw away any expired medicines, whether it is prescription or over the counter. Using expired medicine can result in deadly side affects.
Be careful how you refer to medicines and vitamins. Call them by their names and NEVER call medications "candy". Always be sure your children understand the difference. If you having difficulty getting your child to take medications, find an alternative way of doing it, rather than resorting to calling it candy.
Be consistent about giving your children vitamins. Set a specific time to give them their vitamins. Whether you do this when they wake up or right before going to bed, always stick with the schedule. Switching back and forth, may cause you to forget whether they have had them for the day, and may end up giving a second dose. (And always have your children brush their teeth AFTER taking a chewable vitamin. Chewable vitamins can leave residue behind, which although it is not poisonous, it can be harmful to their teeth).
The same goes for presciption medicine. It's vital that you keep track of what time your children took their medicine. Double doses or skipped doses can result in side effects from less affective treatment to death. Don't risk an overdose because you can't remember if they had their medicine yet. Accurately measure ALL medicines to prevent possible overdose. Using household flatware will not give you an accurage dosage.
Children like to play "grown up", you need to remember this when taking your medicines. If they see you taking medications on a regular routine, they may try to incorporate this into their "pretend time" including finding a way to use YOUR medicines.
Poison Control centers generally have "poison stickers". Call your local chapter and ask. Put the stickers on all medication and other hazardous products in your house. Teach your children to recognize these stickers and to never mess with a container labeled with a poison sticker.
HOUSEHOLD CLEANING AGENTS AND SOAPS
Dish soaps, hand soaps and shampoos are poisonous if consumed, especially by small children. Because they aren't considered a poison, many people don't use caution with these products, but these are extremely dangerous if swallowed.
Lock up all bathroom/kitchen cleaners in a locked cabinet. Store laundry detergents, fabric softners and stain removers out of reach of children. A lot of these agents have added fragrance which can smell good to the nose but be very deadly to the body.
Before throwing away a detergent, soap, cleaner or bleach bottle, rinse them thoroughly.
HOUSEHOLD AND MISCELLANEOUS
Keep all toiletries, including perfume, hairspray and cosmetics out of reach of children. Though they are standard household products, they are extremely toxic. Never allow your children to play "pretend" with cosmetics or other toiletries. Besides the risk of poison, they also face the risk of blindness if an any residue or spray gets in their eyes.
Know your plants. Plants such as azaleas and chrysanthemums have toxic properties and should be kept out of reach of children. Don't forget that holly, mistletoe and even poinsettias are poisonous and should never be placed within the reach of children or pets.
Keep outside products, such as weed killer, bug killer, fertilizer, lighter fluid, paint/thinners antifreeze, oil and gasoline in an area that your children cannot access them. Always keep them in their original container and properly labeled, including applying a poisonous sticker to the container.
Don't rely on your children to stay out of cabinets that they have been told are a no-no. Install safety locks on all your cabinets containing potentially hazardous material. These are relatively inexpensive, especially compared to the risk you take without them.
Vacuum paint peelings often if you have paint flaking off the wall. Small fingers are always looking for something to pick up and eat.
Supply your children with non-toxic markers, crayolas and chalk. Kids love to put things in their mouths and these items are generally considered safe, so they are not always supervised. They are only safe if they are designated "non-toxic".
Remember that moth balls look like marbles. Keep moth balls out of reach of children. Even though they do not have an "attractive" odor, children are curious and like to experiment. A moth ball can quickly be consumed if within reach. Even if you remove the moth ball immediately, residue will still have been consumed and poison treatment should be pursued immediately.
Make sure all battery operated toys are checked regularly to ensure the batteries are not leaking. Keep all batteries out of reach of children. Train your children to bring the toy to you if it needs new batteries or if the battery compartment comes open.
POST THE NUMBER TO YOUR LOCAL POISON CONTROL CENTER NEAR THE PHONE. Prevention is the best medicine, but just in case, you should be prepared in case the worst happens. To prevent wasting valuable time locating the poison control number, keep it near the phone and also written on the outside of all phonebooks. Many poison control centers will also have a "phone sticker" that you can apply directly to the phone. You can also use one of your speed dial numbers for poison control.
Don't hesitate to call poison control if you have a question about a poison hazard. That's what they are there for. They will know exactly what you should do in nearly every situation. They can tell you if an item is, in fact poisonous and whether you can treat the poisoning at home or if you should go to the emergency room. Some poisonings can be treated with simple measures such as drinking milk or cause the victim to throw up, but EVERY poison has a unique treatment, so knowledge is VERY important. Poison control personnel are trained to help you through this.
Every day children die because of accidentally poisoning. You can't guarantee that it won't happen to you, but you can do your best to prevent it.
PREVENTION is the best medicine.
