Poison Control

How to get help for childhood poisonings

Poisonings are very common, occurring in about 2 million people a year, with half of those cases in children under 5 years of age.

Parents are usually instructed to keep the number to Poison Control Center with a list of emergency numbers by the phone. In the past, this meant looking up a number for your local poison center. To make things easier, a nationwide toll-free number can be used to directly connect you with your local poison control.

The Poison Control nationwide number is:

1-800-222-1222

A Poison Control Center is usually a better resource than your own doctor if you suspect that your child has been poisoned. The poison center is quickly available in an emergency situation and has experts with access to specific information on different types of poisons and other substances that may harm children. But remember that if your child has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911 instead.

When calling Poison Control, it can be helpful to have the name of the product or medicine that you suspect that your child was exposed to, how they were exposed (did they swallow it, inhale it or just get it on their skin, etc.), how much were they exposed to, and the current symptoms he is having. You will likely also be asked for your child's age and weight, whether or not he has any medical problems, and a call back number, so have this information handy.

When trying to determine how much your child ingested, it can be helpful to know how big the container is, how much was in it, whether you had used any of it before, how much is left in the container, and if any was spilled.

Although most people think to call Poison Control when their child accidentally ingests another family members medicine, or if he drinks a household cleaning product, Poison Control can also be helpful if your child is bitten by a bee, spider or snake, gets something in his eye, such as spray paint or perfume, has food poisoning, sticks a fork in an electrical socket, or if you accidentally give your child too high a dose of an over the counter medication. A poison is usually defined as 'any substance that can cause harmful effects in the body'.

The most dangerous poisons include:

• medications and vitamins (many of which do not come in child resistant containers)
• household products, especially cleaning supplies, pesticides, and hydrocarbons, such as oil, kerosene lighter fluid, etc. antifreeze
• carbon monoxide
• windwhield washer fluid

And remember that prevention is the key to avoiding injuries and death from accidental or preventable ingestions. You can prevent poisoning by keeping household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach of your children, always store them in their original container and know the Poison Control Center number (1-800-222-1222).

Also, buy and use products with child resistant caps.