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Too Many Toxins
Keeping Poisons Away From Curious Hands By Lisa B. Samalonis
While many parents assume their children are safe from poisons, they are present in every household. Poisons can be found in perfumes, the laundry room, backyard plants and especially chemicals under the sink and scattered in the garage.
According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 52 percent of poison exposures occur in children under age 6. The most common forms of poison exposure for children under age 6 are cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, analgesics and foreign bodies.
Dr. Vera Frumin, chairperson of pediatrics at Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., says parents should discard old medications and double check that all harmful household products are out of children's reach. "Young children have a natural desire to explore and experiment," she says. "Such natural curiosity can lead to poisonings when chemicals or medications are within reach. Young children frequently put things in their mouths. This is part of learning. It only takes a few minutes to check that your child is as safe as possible from poisoning by double checking your home and other caregivers' homes (including grandparents) for reachable, poisonous products."
Other common examples of poisons include aspirin, acetaminophen, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, iron pills, moth balls, furniture polish, drain cleaners, weed killers, insect or rat poisons, lye, paint thinners, dishwasher detergent, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, gasoline, kerosene and lamp oil.
Even if the bottle has a child resistant cap, if a parent does not check to make sure it is "locked" and forgets to put it out of reach, a child can get into it. "My 3-year-old nephew drank Tylenol cold and cough medicine when it was in the medicine cabinet with the cap not on tightly," says Barbara Mummer of Sicklerville, N.J. "My sister had to take him to the hospital because poison control said the combination could be deadly if too much was taken."
Mummer notes that after four hours in the ER, an activated charcoal supplement and two blood tests, it turns out her nephew had only ingested less than 2 tablespoons. "But my sister didn't know how much he drank, so she had to have him checked to be safe," Mummer says.