Chemical reaction Whether at nursery or at home, great care must be taken that young children cannot get at poisonous substances, as doctors at the Great Ormond Street Hospital stress
How common is accidental poisoning?
Accidental poisoning from medication and cleaning chemicals is one of the most common forms of poisoning in toddlers and young children. Over the years painkillers, such as aspirin, have been known to seriously harm or kill many children. Even vitamins or iron tablets in large quantities can cause extreme injury. According to Government figures most cases involve children under the age of five, with commonly prescribed medicines accounting for nearly half of the incidents reported each year. However, in children aged between two and four, chemicals like liquid polish, bleach and lavatory disinfectants are more often the cause of poisoning.
Potential risks
The increasingly widespread use of child safety packaging has seen a reduction in the number of poisoning accidents in young children. But, despite such safeguards, many household products still pose a risk. For example, commonly prescribed medicines are often left by the bedside in blister packs or child-proof bottles that any child with "Lego skills" can master. This is especially true of tablets that, for inquisitive toddlers, have the appealing appearance of sweets.
These could include:
- Iron tablets
- Contraceptive pills
- Sleeping tablets
- Anti-depressants
- Paracetamol
- Cleaning chemicals, such as bleach and toilet cleaner which are frequently left under the kitchen sink or in a low-level cupboard
- Aromatic lamp oils - children can confuse the colourful liquid with juice or fizzy drinks.
Symptoms of poisoning
A child's symptoms will vary depending on the type of substance that has been consumed. More often than not, a toddler in possession of drugs will be "caught red-handed". Or the cause can be determined by empty or open bottles, pills or spills on the floor. Common symptoms of poisoning include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Unusual sleepiness
- Breathing difficulties
- Bleeding.
Chemicals can have an immediate effect, with chemical burns appearing around the mouth and lips or the onset of breathing problems.
Safety tips
With the right precautions, accidental poisoning is preventable. It is important for childcarers and parents to assess what types of substances might be harmful to children and to then remove the potential risk. This is often easier if they try to imagine their environment from a child's perspective. Most accidents occur in the bathroom, kitchen and storage areas. Consider the following tips and advise parents on sensible precautions.
Medicines:
- Always keep medications out of reach in a locked cabinet that meets "safety approved" standards - even if it is high up, remember that young children are good climbers!
- In the nursery, make sure that staff only bring medication in when necessary and keep it locked in the staff room.
- Warn parents not to keep medication in their bag or by their bed.
- Always use products with child-resistant packaging.
- Throw out unwanted drugs, in a safely out-of-reach bin, or return them to your local chemist.
- Always keep potentially dangerous cleaning chemicals in locked cupboards. This includes spray products such as perfume, which can cause blindness if squirted directly in a child's eye.
- Babies and toddlers should not be left unsupervised in areas where they are exposed to dangerous substances, such as the kitchen or bathroom.
- Never refill any kind of soft drink bottles with chemical substances, as these can be mistaken for drink and accidentally ingested.
- If there is a case of suspected poisoning, remove the child from the area of danger immediately.
- Contact your local doctor or ring NHS Direct for advice. This should even be done in cases where the child does not immediately display any symptoms of being unwell, as the effects could be delayed.
- Never try to make the child vomit unless you are absolutely certain what has been ingested and have been advised by an expert to do so - some chemicals can cause more problems on the way out of the body.
- Ring for an ambulance if the child is unconscious and ensure that you take the suspected drug or chemical to the hospital to help doctors identify the right course of treatment.
