The holidays are fast approaching and we encourage people to take a minute to think about preventing poisoning in their children. The holidays are a joyous time when family and friends gather together. It is also a time of year with an increased occurence of poisonings in children. While busily preparing for the holidays, children are more likely to be left unsupervised for a short amount of time. Visiting grandparents, family and friends with medications in their luggage or purse are frequent sources of a poisoning exposure in children. It takes only a short time for a child to get into medications but may lead to a lengthy visit to the Emergency Room.
A few tips to be especially mindful of during the holidays:
Store medications locked out of children’s sight and reach.
Tell grandparents, family and friends about avoiding medication poisoning when they visit or your family visits their homes.
For a great article with general tips about “Keeping kids safer around medicines, poisons” please go here: http://www.forteustiswheel.com/articles/2009/11/24/news/top_stories/top03.txt.
If you think your child has tasted, touched or breathed something harmful, call your local poison control center. Poison Control Centers nationwide are accessed by calling 1-800-222-1222.
