You’ll be surprised to know that the US poison control gets around more than 2 million calls every year. And almost all of these toxic exposures occur at home. Not only this, but 80% of the victims of accidental poisoning are toddlers.
Yes, you read that right!
Children are curious. They find almost everything that they see interesting and are attracted to it. Not only this, but they would even want to grab those things and treat them as just another toy meant for their entertainment.
But little do they know there is a lot of stuff in homes that might be poisonous for them.
The good news is that you can easily prevent accidental poisoning at home by following some safety tips and keeping your little ones safe.
Before we start, you should also keep in mind that just because things are out of reach, it doesn’t mean that your little ones won’t be able to find their way around to get what they want.
That being said, let’s take a quick look at some of the safety tips you need to follow to keep your kids safe from accidental poisoning.
Some of them are mentioned below.
● Use child-resistant bags for medicines
What if you left your medicines lying out in the open and one of your kids finds them? It is not easy for a toddler to tell the difference between medicine and candy.
Thus, you need to store all your medicines (prescription and nonprescription) in child-resistant packaging and keep them really far away from your kids. Use a safety latch for the cabinets so that your kids can’t open them easily.
You would also need to keep an account of how many pills are left in the container. Also, many parents try to convince their kids to have their medicines by telling them that it tastes like candy. DO NOT DO THAT. This tactic might backfire and your children might end up overdosing themselves with dangerous medicines thinking of them as tasty treats. Instead, it would be best if you tell your kids that certain medicines can make them feel better but should be taken under supervision.
And if you have older kids at home who are old enough to manage their own medicines, make sure they know everything about the dosage and storage. Older kids should know that leaving their medicines out in the open could be deadly for their younger siblings.
● Use higher cabinets with strong latches for cleaning products
According to the recent reposts, many kids land into poisonous troubles because they mistook cleaning products for colorful drinks. Thus, the emergency room visits.
So, consider storing the cleaning products such as detergents and other chemical stuff in higher cabinets with child-resistant locks. You would also need to add your garden supplies such as bug repellents, fertilizers in those securely locked areas.
Also, refrain from using old soda bottles or other containers that were previously used for food to store the cleaning stuff. Avoid storing your dishwashing supplies under the sink, as your kids can easily get to that. Use a separate higher cabinet for that too.
What to do if your children accidentally poison themselves?
Even if your children manage to get their hands on the poisonous stuff and accidentally swallow something, you need to take immediate action to prevent any mishappening.
Try calling Poison Control or 911 as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, try to take your kids in the fresh air and wash the affected area to minimize the poisonous effects.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one must refrain from inducing vomiting with the syrup of ipecac.
In the end,
Parents want what is best for their little ones. And no one can bear them getting hurt or worse, poisoned.
So, now that you know all the safety precautions you need to prevent your kids from getting accidentally poisoned, use them to keep your little ones safe.
Precaution is better than cure. Right?