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The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) and Child Care Aware do not endorse nor are we responsible for the information or materials posted on any of the resource’s websites.Poison Prevention
March 10, 2008
Your child's safety is probably a top priority for you. There are many measures you can take to make sure your child is safe. When your child is not in your care, you make sure the place she will be spending her time is a safe environment. If you're traveling in a car, you bring a car seat. But no matter what actions you take, you can always miss something.
As a parent, you may be aware of common household items that are poisonous, but some items may not immediately pop in to your head as being dangerous to your child.
The third week in March is National Poison Prevention week. This week is intended to bring attention to the dangers of poisoning and what you might be able to do to prevent them. Here are some general poison statistics, from a 2005 report by the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Poisoning and Exposure Database:
- Poison control centers handle an average of one poison exposure every 13 seconds. Currently there are 61 poison control centers in the United States. When someone calls one of these centers, experts are able to assist them with their exposure emergency. To find your local poison center, call 1 (800) 222-1222.
- 50.7 percent of exposures happen to children under 6 years old.
- Of these instances, common causes of exposure include household items such as cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, analgesics (pain relievers), and foreign bodies.
Below are some tips from Safe Kids Worldwide on how to prevent poison exposure at home:
- Be aware of items in your home that are poisonous. Remember, even something as simple as mouthwash may be harmful to your child if swallowed.
- Use child-resistant packaging. This may not necessarily stop your child from opening an item, but it could slow her down enough that you'll be able to get to her before she's able to open it.
- Keep household products, medicines, and other harmful materials out of reach of children. When possible, keep them in a locked cabinet.
- Keep cleaners in their original containers and never mix household items together.
- Be aware of any plants in the home that may be poisonous and keep them out of the reach of children.
If your child is old enough, you can teach her about poison and the dangers it can cause. Teach her that:
- Poisons can come from many places.
- Sometimes you may be able to see or smell poisons, other times you many not.
- Poisons can look like many things.
You should also talk about items in your home that are poisons, and tell her what she should do if she or someone she knows has been poisoned.
- Remember, when talking about poison, it's important to think about what is appropriate for your child's age. You don't want to give a younger child too much information and have her not understand. Nor do you want to scare her. Keep the information at a level your child will understand and she will be more likely to learn a helpful lesson.
For more information on poison prevention
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