Prevent childhood poisoning (1131)

You know your child likes to put things in his mouth to taste them. You may not know that children will eat poisons, like mothballs or drain cleaner, even if they taste bad. Only as we get older do we learn that bad-tasting things may be harmful.

It is up to you to protect your child from poisons in your home. Here is a room-by-room list of common household products that are poisonous:

- In the kitchen, dishwasher soap, oven cleaner, floor and furniture polish, ammonia, and lye are poisonous.

- In the bathroom, medicines like prescription drugs, aspirin and Tylenol®, vitamin and iron pills, tranquilizers, birth-control pills, cold and cough medicines, and cosmetics are poisons. Also, drain cleaners, toilet water, disinfectants, perfume, and rubbing alcohol are poisonous.

- Laundry products that are poisonous include bleaches, detergents, fabric softeners and stain removers.

- In the storeroom or garage, look out for kerosene, lighter fluid, gasoline, paint, paint thinner, turpentine, weed killer, pesticides, rat poison, and fertilizer.

-Other things that are poisonous include many house plants, garden and yard plants, tobacco, any alcohol, mothballs, paint chips or dust.

Think ahead to prevent poisoning:

- Store poisonous products in a locked cabinet or high out of baby's sight and reach. Always make sure you put them back right after use.

- There is a national number for all poison control centers. It is 1-800-222-1222.  Keep it by every phone in the house.

- Poisons should be stored in their original container or in a carefully labeled container.

- Don't take medicine in front of your children. And, never tell them their medicine is "candy."

- Watch out, other people's homes may not be child-proof.

- If poisoning occurs, try to figure out what was swallowed. Keep the containers. If baby vomits and you don't know what was eaten, keep a sample for chemical analysis.

- If baby is awake, call Poison Control or the doctor right away. Even if the child seems OK, some treatment may be needed. Acting quickly is very important.

- If baby is unconscious, call 911. Begin CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if the child is not breathing. Never induce vomiting if a caustic substance was swallowed. Caustic substances include dishwasher soap, oven cleaner, ammonia, lye, drain cleaner and disinfectants. These products cause severe mouth and throat burns, in addition to poisoning. They burn a second time if the child is made to vomit. This is why you need to have that number for the poison control hotline handy, so you can get their advice.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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