Poison Control Tips from
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta 

 Many people assume that they are safe from poisons, but in fact, they are a part of every American household. Poisons can be found in perfumes, the laundry room, backyard plants and especially chemicals under the sink and scattered in the garage. In 2002, more than 1.2 million unintentional poisonings among children ages five and under were reported to U.S. poison control centers. As a result, the total annual cost of poison-related death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than $21.8 billion with an average cost of $8,700 per hospital treatment. Every dollar spent on poison control centers saves this country $7 in medical costs.

Laws and regulations have been designed to help parents protect their children from threats in the home. The Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 authorizes the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to require the use of child-resistant packaging for toxic substances used in and around the home. As a result, an estimated 460 deaths among children ages four and under were prevented from 1974 through 1992. Carol Ball, with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and SAFE KIDS of Georgia, offers these tips to parents who want to safeguard children from harmful poisons in their homes:

In the case of any accidental poisoning, always contact the National Poison Control Center hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Make sure that this number is always readily available in your home. Be prepared to give certain facts to the operator when you call like the victim’s age, weight, any existing health conditions the victim may have, the type of substance and manner of contact (e.g. swallowed, splashed into the eyes, etc.) and if first aid was performed on the victim.


Lock household products and medications, including vitamins out of reach. Never leave potentially poisonous household products unattended. Beware of makeup, hair spray, cologne and other personal products. Detergents, bleaches, cleaners, soaps, bug killers and other products in the garage and basement should be stored out of children’s sight and reach. Cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays and alcoholic drinks should also be kept out of reach.

• Teach your child never to eat mushrooms, leaves or berries that grow in the yard.
• Clearly label all medicines and other products. Never store products in anything other than their original container.
• Keep purses and diaper bags out of children’s reach. Be aware of the location of visitors’ purses and suitcases.
• Purchase products with child-resistant packaging.
• Never refer to medicine or vitamins as “candy” because it may cause a child to think that it is harmless or pleasant to eat.
• Teach grandparents, relatives and all babysitters to take necessary poison prevention precautions.
• If a poison is swallowed, DO NOT make the child throw up by giving him or her Ipecac syrup or activated charcoal without instruction from a poison control center or medical professional.
• If a poison is inhaled, move the victim to fresh air immediately.
• If poison comes in contact with skin, remove the contaminated clothing and rinse the area with water for 10 minutes.
• If a poisonous substance gets in a child’s eye, flush his or her eye for 15 minutes – use a large cup filled with lukewarm water held two to four inches from the eye.
  

For more information on preventing childhood poisoning, visit the Georgia Poison Center's Web site. For More Information On Children's Healthcare Of Atlanta you may visit their website by just clicking here.

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