Poisons

Children of any age can become very ill after contact with certain medications, household pesticides, chemicals, cosmetics, or plants.

Young children are most commonly poisoned by items in the home such as:

• drugs and medications
  (iron medications are the most common causes of poisonings in children under age 5)
• cleaning products
• plants
• cosmetics
• pesticides
• paints and solvents

While reactions can occur, most children are not permanently harmed if treated right away.

What is "The Arsenic Hour"?
Most poisonings occur when parents are not watching children as closely as usual. The hectic routine of getting dinner on the table causes so many lapses in parental attention that late afternoon is known as "the arsenic hour" by poison center personnel.

Preventing poisonings:

• lock up all toxic substances where your child cannot get to them

• watch your child more closely when you are somewhere that is not childproofed

• keep drugs, medications, household cleaning products, and cosmetics locked up and out of children's reach

• use safety latches on drawers and cabinets that contain objects that might be dangerous to a child

• keep a small bottle of syrup of ipecac on hand with your other medications -- out of children's reach. It is available without prescription at most pharmacies. Use it only with instructions from the poison center or your pediatrician.

• post the poison center and other emergency numbers near every phone in your home. Be sure the babysitter knows how to use the numbers.

Treatment for poisonings:

Swallowed Poison:
If you find your child with an open or empty container of a toxic substance, your child may have been poisoned. Stay calm and act quickly:

• Get the poison away from your child.

• If the substance is still in the child's mouth, make him spit it out, or remove it with your fingers. (Keep this material along with any other evidence that might help determine what was swallowed.)

• Do not make your child vomit. (Your pediatrician or the poison control center will instruct you to make the child vomit when/if necessary.)

• Do not follow instructions about poisoning on the label of the container, as these are often out-of-date. Your pediatrician or the poison control center will instruct you whether to follow label instructions.

• Check for these signs:

• severe throat pain
• breathing difficulty
• sudden behavior changes, such as unusual sleepiness, irritability, or jumpiness
• unexplained nausea or vomiting
• stomach cramps without fever
• burns on your child's lips or mouth
• unusual drooling, or odd odors on your child's breath
• unexplained stains on your child's clothing
• convulsions or unconsciousness (only in very serious cases)

If your child has any of these signs, call 911 right away.

Show the physician the poison container as it may help the physician determine what was swallowed.

If your child does not have these symptoms, call your regional poison center or pediatrician. You will be asked to give the following information:

• Your name and phone number

• Your child's name, age, and weight

• Any medical conditions your child may have

• Any medications your child may be taking

• The name of the substance your child swallowed -- read it from the container and spell it.

• If the substance was a prescription medication, give all the information on the label including the name of the drug.

• If the name of the drug is not on the label, give the name and phone number of the pharmacy, and the date of the prescription.

• What the pill looked like (if you can tell) and if it had any printed numbers on it.

• If your child swallowed another substance, such as a part of a plant, describe it as much as you can to help identify it.

• The time your child swallowed the poison (or when you found your child), and the amount you think was swallowed.

Poison on the skin:
If your child spills a chemical on her body, remove her clothes and rinse the skin with lukewarm — not hot — water. If the area shows signs of being burned, continue rinsing for at least 15 minutes, no matter how much your child may protest. Then, call the poison center for further advice. Do not use ointments or grease.

Poison in the eye(s):
Flush your child's eye by holding the eyelid open and pouring a steady stream of lukewarm water — not hot — into the inner corner. You may need help from another adult to hold your child while you rinse the eye; or you can try wrapping your child tightly in a towel and clamping your child under one arm. Continue flushing the eye for 15 minutes, and call the poison center for further instructions. Do not use an eyecup, eyedrops, or ointment unless the poison center tells you to do so.

Poisonous fumes:
In the home, poisonous fumes can come from:

• a car running in a closed garage
• leaky gas vents
• wood, coal, or kerosene stoves that are not working properly

If your child is exposed to fumes or gases, get her into fresh air right away. If your child is breathing, call the poison center for further instructions. If your child has stopped breathing, start CPR and do not stop until your child breathes on his or her own or someone else can take over. If you can, have someone call 911 right away. If you are alone, wait until your child is breathing or, after 1 minute of CPR, call 911.