Tiny Hands, Big Risks
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Tiny Hands, Big Risks

Protecting children from accidental poisonings

In 2022, U.S. Poison Centers responded to 2,064,875 cases of poisoning. That’s an average of one new case every 15 seconds. Of those, 40% (97,000) were for children under the age of five. Additionally, an estimated 68,600 children under the age of five were seen in the emergency department for accidental poisoning.

While the source of poisoning ranged from cleaning products and laundry detergent pods to fentanyl patches and cosmetics, there was one common theme: 93% of accidental poisonings occurred in the home

 

The Top 5 and Emerging Dangers to Kids

The top 5* most common exposures in children aged 5 years or less in 2022 were:

household cleaning substances (10.3%)

analgesics (9.54%)

cosmetics/personal care products (9.49%)

dietary supplements/herbals/homeopathic (6.65%)

foreign bodies/toys/miscellaneous (6.61%)

 

Recent studies also note an increasing number of accidental poisonings in children from:

*SOURCE: National Poison Data System® (NPDS) from America's Poison Centers®: 40th Annual Report

 

Prevention is key to keeping children safe. Family members and caregivers should work to identify hazards in the home that could be a poisoning danger and keep them out of a child’s sight and reach. 

Here’s where to start:

 Drugs or Medications 

  • Keep medications safely stored in a locked cabinet or box and out of the reach of children. 

  • Keep medicines in their original child-resistant containers and never in unsecured containers. 

  • Properly discard unfinished or unused medicines. 

  • If a family member is taking a medication like Suboxone for opioid use disorder, you should keep a dose of Narcan (Naloxone) in the home in case of accidental ingestion

  • Beware of vitamins, medications, and other substances that are in a gummy form, as they are often mistaken for a candy.

Laundry Packets or Pods 

  • Store laundry packets in their original containers and out of a child’s sight and reach. 

  • Do not let children handle laundry detergent packets. 

Household Cleaning Supplies 

  • Keep chemicals and cleaning supplies safely stored in a locked cabinet or box and out of the reach of children. 

  • Keep household chemicals in their original child-resistant containers. 

Button Cell or Coin Batteries 

  • Keep products with accessible batteries away from children if the battery compartments do not have a screw closure or if the compartment is damaged.  

  • Check the toys in your home to make sure battery compartments are secured. 

  • Do not allow children to play with or be in contact with button cell or coin batteries. 

  • Click here to learn more about the dangers of button and coin batteries.

 

If you think your child has been exposed to a poison, remain calm and:

Call 911 right away if they:

Are having difficulty breathing OR

Have collapsed or are losing consciousness OR

Are having a seizure

If they are conscious and breathing easily:

Call a Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

Be prepared to provide the following information when you call:

  • The specific substance consumed. It’s helpful to refer to the label for this information

  • The age and weight of person exposed and any existing health conditions they may have

  • Any first aid provided

  • If the patient has vomited

  • How far you are from the nearest hospital

 

For online assistance or more information on accidental poisonings, visit Poison.org.

 

Moriah Krason, MD, FAAP is a general pediatrician at SVMC Pediatrics in Bennington.

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Keep Up the Good Work: Staying Safe as Restrictions Loosen

Like many in Vermont, the leaders and staff at Southwestern Vermont Health Care couldn’t be happier that the number of cases of COVID-19 fell below even our best expectations. The better-than-expected situation we have experienced in Vermont is thanks to all who followed recommendations as closely as possible. However, many with “isolation fatigue” may be ready to relax their own behavior, especially at hearing about the loosening of restrictions. In reality, the precautions we have been taking are as important right now as they were at the beginning of the pandemic. We’d like to take a moment to reiterate what precautions are still in place and remind everyone how important it is to continue being as careful as ever.

Keep Your Hands Clean. As restrictions have increased, calls for frequent handwashing and respiratory etiquette (covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, if possible, and throwing the tissue away) seem to have let up. While these actions alone will not prevent someone from contracting COVID-19, they are still the best actions to prevent acquiring an infection. If you have relaxed your handwashing habit, now’s the time to beef it back up again!

“Stay Home, Stay Safe.” The order to limit trips from home remains in effect through at least May 15. Some iteration of this guideline is likely to persist for some time beyond that. This means we should be leaving our home only for the following reasons: for personal safety, to get food or medicine, to seek medical care, to exercise, to care for others, or to go to work.

Cover Your Face. While outside the home, wear a cloth mask or face covering. People who do not have symptoms can spread COVID-19, so face coverings keep you from spreading the illness if you are ill without knowing it. Masks also keep you from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth and potentially infecting yourself or others.

Keep Your Distance. Even while wearing face coverings, we should all continue to keep at least 6 feet from others. The distance is about the same as the length of a long couch. If you could touch the person when both your arms are outstretched, you are still about 2 feet too close.

Stay Home Some More. You may have COVID-19 if you have a cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and a sudden loss of taste or smell.  Call your provider. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control has launched a self-checker tool to help guide you through making decisions based on your symptoms. If you have any questions, call the SVHC COVID-19 Informational Hotline at 802-440-8844.

Seek Immediate Medical Attention. If you have difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face, call 9-1-1 or your local Emergency Department and go to the hospital. SVMC’s number is 802-447-6361.

While the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 in our area is relatively low right now, we all need to remain vigilant in order to keep it that way. How well we adhere to the restrictions that remain is likely to make a big difference in how many of our friends and neighbors are sickened. In short, keep up the good work!

Marie George, MD, is SVMC’s infectious disease specialist.

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