Poison Prevention
Information from the National Safe Kids Campaign http://www.safekids.org

Even innocent looking items like household plants and vitamin supplements can poison a child in less than a minute. And commonly used products such as cosmetics, detergents and medicines can be fatal to young children if left within their reach.

Children ages 5 and under are particularly vulnerable to poisonings due to their curiosity and natural desire to put everything into their mouths.

• Keep poisonous products out of reach. Storing potentially harmful products out of sight and reach — in cabinets with safety locks — is one of the best ways to prevent poisonings.
• Know which household products are poisonous. Something as common as mouthwash can be poisonous due to its alcohol content if a child swallows a large amount.
• Stay alert while using poisonous household products. Many poisonings occur while adults are using a household product like a bathroom cleaner or bleach. Adults should know where children are when these products are in use. Never leave a child alone in a room with a poisonous product. It takes only seconds for a poisoning to occur.
• Never refer to medicine or vitamins as candy. Referring to medicine as candy could cause a child to think that it is harmless or pleasant to eat. Since children tend to mimic adults, avoid taking medications in front of them. Vitamins, particularly those containing iron, can also be poisonous to children. Keep them out of your child's reach at all times and carefully monitor their use.
• Beware of certain cosmetics and personal products. Children may be tempted to taste cosmetics and personal care products. Store items such as perfume, hair spray, shampoo, artificial fingernail remover and fingernail polish remover out of reach.
• Keep products in original containers. Never put potentially poisonous products in something other than their original container where they could be mistaken for something harmless.
• Keep poisonous plants out of reach. Teach children never to put leaves, stems, bark, seeds, nuts or berries from any plant into their mouths.

If a poisoning does occur, follow these guidelines:

• Be prepared. Keep the phone numbers of the local poison control center, physician and emergency medical service next to each telephone.
• Call 1-800-222-1222 for a poison emergency. If you suspect a child has swallowed something, check his or her mouth. Remove any remaining poison from the child’s mouth, then call your local poison control center, physician or other emergency medical services. When calling, bring the container of the ingested substance to the phone with you. Call even if you are not sure that the child was poisoned. The poison center staff or emergency personnel will determine if you need to do anything for the child. Do not give the child anything to treat the poison until you have consulted a poison control center or a health care professional. Vomiting can often aggravate the poisoning and cause even greater long-term damage.
• Rinse skin with water. If a poison has come in contact with your child's skin, rinse the skin with running water for 15 minutes. Don't touch the poison. Take off any contaminated clothing. Call the poison control center or emergency medical service immediately.
• Flush eyes with water. If a poison has gotten into your child's eyes, gently hold his or her eyelids open and pour cool water into them for 15 minutes. Do not let the child rub his or her eyes, and do not put the child's head directly under a faucet to irrigate the eyes. Once again, call the poison control center or emergency medical service immediately.