Health Tips

Poisoning in Children

With the recent need for children to bring hand sanitizers to school due to COVID-19, parents and teachers should also educate their child to not drink it. It may seem a little far fetch but sometimes, it might just be a dare from a friend. Educating them is important in order to prevent alcohol poisoning as well as teaching them how to use it properly (hand rub steps). With that aside, poisoning is mostly accidental in children and can be due to multiple common household items. Every year, around 3 million children, most under the age of 5 swallow or have contact with poisonous substances. Shocking? Therefore, there is always a need to take extra precaution as children tend to take and try things out that are within their reach.

Dangerous potential poisoning items

• Medicines

• Cleaning products, detergents, personal care products 

• Pesticides 

• Antifreeze, Furniture polish

• Windshield wiper fluid, Liquid nicotine

• Gasoline, Kerosene and Lamp oil

• Poisonous household plants

Prevention 

• Use safety latches for drawers and cupboards with potentially poisonous items

• Keep poisonous items out of reach for children 

• Store all medications in containers with safety caps

• Always double check the dosage of medication and time of intake for children.

• Do not place poisonous products in food containers

• Do not tell children that medicine is ‘candy’ or ‘sweet’ or anything synonymous. 

What if my child accidentally ingested something poisonous?

• If you catch your child swallowing something poisonous/dangerous for the matter, immediately have them spit it out. Do not force them to vomit it out. 

• If the substance comes in contact with their eyes, flush it with water for at least 15 minutes.

• If they swallowed any form of battery, bring them to the Emergency unit in the hospital immediately. Batteries can react with the inner lining of the digestive tract. Read our article on this here.

• If corrosive liquid or poison comes in contact with their skin. Remove their clothes that came in contact with the substance and rinse their skin with lukewarm water for at least 15 minutes.

It is always important to keep an eye on your child, not the overly attached kind. It is our job to create a safe environment for them to play and grow up in.

Tell them the WHYs behind the RULES, children do understand when we reason with them.

And be extra vigilant when you bring your child out or when there is a change in environment for example another person’s house or to the stores as things are everywhere and not where they are at home, which creates opportunities for children to grasp potentially poisonous items to play with. 

Download our Doc2Us app from Google Play Store or Apple Store and chat with a doctor now.

Reference:

1. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Poison-Prevention.aspx

2. https://nyulangone.org/conditions/poisoning-in-children/types

Picture credit:

1. https://sg.theasianparent.com/accidental-poisoning-in-children-singapore

2. https://www.gohealthuc.com/library/9-essential-tips-preventing-accidental-poisoning-home

3. https://www.thespruce.com/how-laundry-detergent-ingredients-work-2146619

4. https://www.kctv5.com/news/kctv-special-report-cautions-about-child-resistant-safety-caps/article_2d5a5048-c6c8-562d-932e-d02e8567e302.html

Written by

Dr. Jessamine Chong Sze Lynn