March 6, 2006 Hello! You may have heard the expression, "It's too quiet." Parents with small children often get nervous when they cannot see (or hear) what their children are doing. While quiet may signal a peaceful child who has learned to play alone, the question of what that child has found as a source of entertainment is an important issue. As a babysitter, older sibling, or caregiver of any sort, it is important to frequently check on children -- especially if all is quiet. "Children love to
explore! Young children cannot determine if something is poisonous
or not. Imagine how confusing the world can be to a child that cannot
read. If a child's favorite drink is blue Koolaid and a bottle of
Windex is left on the counter within his reach, he/she will probably
drink it based on the color alone. It looks familiar to him/her.
A small child can easily mistake a cleaning product, medicine and/or
personal grooming supplies as something to eat or drink. ... There
are many medicines that look like candy, including vitamins and
cold medicine." While it can be difficult for those who can not read to know what a product is, it can be made even more difficult if the product is in a container that looks "safe" to a child. "KEEP ALL PRODUCTS
IN ORIGINAL CONTAINERS Child-resistant closures are not perfect, and accidents happen. But every precaution taken can help reduce the number of injuries children suffer each year. "A 2-year-old child
in Fitchburg went to St. Mary's Hospital after drinking a small
amount of bleach. The incident happened ... when the child's mother
borrowed a cup of bleach from a neighbor and set it on the counter
... most childhood poisonings happen while a product is being used
by an adult. In these cases, experts said that even the best child-resistant
lids don't help because they're usually not on or not on securely.
Even when these lids are on containers and meet federal standards,
Donna Lotzer, poison education coordinator at the University of
Wisconsin Hospital Poison Prevention Education Center, said that
the lids aren't absolute protection. 'It's supposed to take enough
time so that the adult, who is hopefully nearby, can find out what's
going on and stop them from gaining access to the container,' Lotzer
said." No potentially dangerous product is made completely "child safe" through the wonders of packaging. When a product is sealed correctly, it can slow down the process. When a product is not sealed correctly, it can provide a false sense of security for the caregiver. When a product is out for use, any "child safety" packaging is removed so that the adult can access the product -- and so can a child.... "Medicines (especially
iron pills and food supplements containing iron), household substances,
insect sprays, kerosene, lighter fluid, some furniture polishes,
turpentine, points, solvents, and products containing lye and acids
are most frequently the cause of accidental poisoning among children." While some products may be easier to distinguish as potential dangers, others can be more difficult, especially for children. Products (such as vitamins) children know are okay to eat. When these products look (or taste) like candy, caregivers need to be especially careful to help children understand the the potential dangers when one has "too much of a good thing." "Childhood poisonings
caused by accidental overdoses of iron-containing supplements are
the biggest concern of poison control experts, consumer protection
groups, and health-care providers. Iron-containing supplements are
the leading cause of pediatric poisoning deaths for children under
6 in the United States. ... Although iron poisoning is the biggest
concern when it comes to childhood poisoning, there is also concern
about other drugs. 'Over-the-counter [OTC] diet pills have the potential
to be lethal to children, as do OTC stimulants used to keep you
awake and decongestant tablets,' says George C. Rodgers, M.D., Ph.D.,
medical director of the Kentucky Regional Poisoning Center. ...
'Antidepressant drugs have a high degree of toxicity,' he continues.
'They are cardiac and central nervous system toxins, and it doesn't
take much of them to do harm, particularly in children.' ... The
marketing of pediatric vitamins is also a cause of concern for Rodgers.
'Because they're marketed to look like candy or cartoon characters,
it looks like candy and doesn't seem like medicine,' he explains.
In addition, children frequently mimic the behavior of their parents.
Children who watch their parents take pills may want to do it, too--with
potentially fatal results.'" With latches and lids to slow them down, some parents may think that children will not get into unsafe products if they are properly sealed. In fact, these lids can slow down curious children -- or they can offer a challenge to the determined child. Potentially dangerous products need to be more than just sealed with a "child safe" lid. "Keeping medications
out of the easy grasp of children four and younger in the home is
a significant health issue in the United States because they are
more likely to be hospitalized for unintentionally swallowing medications
than other causes of unintentional injury, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a report released today.
... Also, over 550,000 incidents involving medications are reported
each year for children under age six. For these reasons parents
and others who are responsible for supervising children should remain
vigilant in protecting children from inadvertent access to medications." "[P]arents and others who are responsible for supervising children should remain vigilant..." "*When possible, keep
the medicines in their original containers. If medicines are transferred
to other containers, be extra vigilant to ensure children do not
have access to them. If you store medicines in your purse or a pill
box, make sure that children do not have access. Even the most careful caregiver can make a mistake. Another reason to keep medications and potentially hazardous materials in their original containers is so that it is easy for anyone who is caring for the child to tell what the child has gotten into if there is a concern. "If you see a bottle
of pills or some other dangerous product standing open or partially
spilled, your child may have gotten into it and become poisoned.
Unusual symptoms that may accompany poisoning include: If a caregiver has any concerns or suspicions, it is important to get help as soon as possible. "If your child is
unconscious, having convulsions or having difficulty breathing,
call 911 immediately or take him or her to the closest hospital
emergency room. If your child is conscious, call 1-800-222-1222
and you will be automatically routed to your local poison control Questions of the Week:
Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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