Preventing Poisonings

Preventing Poisonings

Did you know approximately 60,000 young children visit the emergency room each year due to accidental ingestion of medicines? That is one child every 8 minutes! So how can you help prevent poisonings in your home? Check out seven simple tips listed below.

For more strategies to protect children from unintentional poisonings, visit the Up and Away and Out of Sight educational campaign at: www.upandaway.org

Additional Tips for Babies & Young Children

If you suspect a poisoning has happened:

Call Poison Control immediately. Your call is free and confidential. Your call will be routed to the nearest US Poison Center based on your area code and exchange. Do not guess what you should do; make the call. You can also call just to ask a question.

Get help. Call 911 if the individual is unconscious or has trouble breathing.

Stay calm. Most poisonings can be resolved quickly.

Reference. 1. Lovegrove MC, Weidle NJ, Budnitz D. Trends in Emergency Department Visits for Unsupervised Pediatric Medication Exposures, 2004–2013. Pediatrics. 2015 Oct; 136(4)