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New Parent News
Are there HIDDEN POISONS in your Home?
By Julie Tresco for the Times Herald Record February 21, 2007
Approximately every 13 seconds someone dials 800-222-1222, the Poison Help number, with a poison question or emergency.
More than half of all reported poisonings happen to children under 6 years old. The usual poisons include cosmetics and personal care items, household cleaners and pain medicines/fever reducers. When you have small children in the house, it is very important to keep poisonous substances out of their reach or in a cabinet with childproof locks. (But remember, nothing is ever 100 percent childproof.)
Take a walk through your home, garage and yard to locate common household substances such as these that are dangerous poisons to a child:
- Vitamin supplements. The brightly colored, sweet, cartoon-shaped iron-containing multivitamin you give your child every morning can be very dangerous if too many are taken. Iron overdose can be fatal in children, causing stomach irritation, pain and vomiting shortly after ingestion. Your child may seem to recover but in a few hours will go into severe shock from a blood imbalance causing irreversible damage to all the body's organ systems. Iron overdose is the most frequent cause of poisoning in children under 6.
- Cleaning supplies. Caustic cleaners like oven or toilet bowl cleaners can cause chemical burns on the skin or internally.
- Nail polish remover. This can cause cyanide poisoning if ingested.
- Pesticides. Use pesticides carefully, as they can cause problems even if the mist is inhaled or comes in contact with the skin.
- Windshield washer fluid/antifreeze. These are dangerous in even small amounts, causing blindness, kidney failure or death. Antifreeze has a sweet taste (almost like syrup), and if it is leaking from your car onto your driveway, your child or your pet may come into contact with this highly poisonous substance.
- Wild mushrooms. Teach your child the difference between the mushrooms you buy at the store and the ones growing in your yard.
- Alcohol. Mouthwash, facial toners and hair spray may contain just as much alcohol as the liquor you keep locked in the liquor cabinet.
- Drugs. Any medicine, prescription or over-the-counter, is dangerous in the wrong dose.
- Carbon monoxide. In these cold winter months, carbon monoxide poisoning can be a problem. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is a by-product of fuel used in furnaces, water heaters, wood-burning stoves, ovens, kerosene space heaters and cars. If too much of the gas is given off because of faulty equipment, or if the gas is concentrated in a small space, brain damage or death may occur. Children and infants are at a greater risk for CO poisoning. Symptoms include aches, dizziness, headache and confusion. Install a CO detector in your home to help prevent poisoning.
If you have questions about poison prevention and how to keep your family safe, call 800-453-4666; send an e-mail to info@misn.us; or go to the Web at www.misn-ny.org.
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