According to the American Association for Poison Control Centers, children younger than six make up approximately half of all exposure cases that are reported to poison centers. Ordinary household items can pose serious poisoning threats to children. This week is National Poison Prevention Week. Read on for ways to protect children:
- Laundry Packets: Colorful laundry packets may be attractive to young kids. Store these in their original packaging out of sight and reach of children. Use traditional liquid or powder laundry detergents instead of packets until all children who live in or visit your home are at least six years old.
- Button or Coin Cell Batteries: These small flat round batteries are often found in toys, remotes, and other common electronics and contain toxic chemicals that could lead to severe internal damage if ingested. Keep children safe from these batteries by storing out of reach and by checking that products’ battery compartments aren’t accessible without a tool or another child resistant closure.
- Small Powerful Magnets: When two or more high-powered magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other, or to another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death. Do not keep in homes children live in or visit.
- Liquid Nicotine and E-Cigarettes: These can come in containers and colors that look enticing for children and not all are packaged in child resistant packaging. Keep the cigarettes, refills, and cartridges out of sight and reach from children.
If you suspect your child has come in contact with a poison, get help from Poison Control by calling 1-800-222-1222.
KID is working on these hazards to increase the safety of packaging and products. To stay up to date with the latest product safety issues and campaigns that KID has been working on, sign up here for KID’s email alerts. Please share these tips with your friends and family to keep the children in your life safe.
