Essential Steps To Protect Your Child From Household Poisoning

Posted in: FYI Articles,Family & Parenting,Household | March 16th, 2010

It is nearly impossible to watch your child every single second of the day. So it’s crucial to poison-proof your home thoroughly.

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Here are some must-read steps that will protect your child from mistaking common household items such as cleaners and brightly colored medications with popular drinks and candy:

Keep medications and potentially harmful substances, such as vitamins, bath oil, and perfume, locked up & out of your child’s reach & sight ~

Easy access for you means easy access for your kids. Make sure that dangerous products have child-resistant caps, but don’t rely on them. Get down on your hands and knees, and look at everything from your child’s point of view. Many local poison-control centers offer free “Mr. Yuk” stickers. You can put them on bottles and explain to your child what they mean so in the future when they come across an item that has “Mr. Yuk’s” face on it, they know it is not okay to touch.

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Always read labels before giving your child medicine, and double-check the markings on dosing cups and spoons ~

There are way too many young children accidentally being given the wrong medication or dosage, especially of Acetaminophen. If you’re not sure whether a medication or dosage is safe, check with your pediatrician or pharmacist or call poison control.

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Use dangerous products, such as drain opener or oven cleaner, only when your child is napping or out of the house ~

Be sure to close caps tightly, and lock them up when you finish using them. Wipe up any spills right away. Store all products in their original packaging, and don’t transfer them into soda bottles or other containers normally used for food. These can be confused with foods your child already consumes.

Never let your young child out of your sight when visiting friends and relatives ~

Grandparents may buy drugs that don’t have child-resistant packaging and keep them out on bedside tables, countertops, or in handbags. A pill holder with sections for each day of the week may resemble a toy to a small child.

Teach your child that they should never put something in their mouth if they don’t know what it is ~

Remove poisonous plants from your house and yard (for a list of toxic plants, go to poison.org). Never give her sips of alcoholic beverages or leave any after-party drinks sitting out. Avoid taking pills in front of your child.

Post the poison-control number — 1-800-222-1222 — near every phone in your house ~

Your call will be automatically routed to the nearest regional poison-control center when you need help. Store the number in your cell phone, and make sure that your child’s caregivers know to call poison control if your child swallows or comes in contact with anything that might be harmful.

It’s amazing how easily young children can climb and open unlocked cabinets and containers. Even kids who won’t take a bite of broccoli or whole wheat bread somehow manage to swallow all sorts of potentially toxic products they find around the house, so you can’t be too careful. Safety 1st offers a wide variety of products that can help you protect your child by preventing them from accessing these harmful products in your home ahead of time. Their products are very affordable too.