Keep curious kids safe by poison-proofing your home
David Ma Editorial Intern
Young children are curious and like to put things in their mouths.Parents, therefore, must keep medicines, cleaning products,pesticides, antifreeze, cosmetics and other dangerous substancesout of youngsters’ reach.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other safety expertsrecommend that parents take the following steps to poison-prooftheir homes:
Store medicines, cleaners and other dangerous products in alockedcabinet, preferably out of sight and reach of children.
Ifyou must store items under the sink, use safety latches thatlockevery time you close the cabinet.
Buy and keep all medicinesin containers with safety caps. Keepin mind these caps arechild-resistant, not child-proof.
Do not let children watchyou take medicine because they maytry to copy you.
Checkthe label every time you give medicine to make sure youaregiving the right medication and dose. Mistakes are commoninthe middle of the night, so always turn on a light.
Storeproducts in their original containers. Never put poisonousproductsin containers that were used for food, especially emptydrinkbottles, cans or cups.
To dispose of medications, check instructionson the drug labelto see if they can be flushed down the toiletor poured downthe drain. If not, take the medication out ofthe original containerand mix with coffee grounds, kitty litteror any other unappetizingsubstance to prevent children fromeating the medication. Placemixture in a sealable bag or disposablecontainer with lid;be sure any personal information is concealed;then drop theitem in the trash, along with the empty drug containers.
If parents find their child near an open or empty containerof a nonfood item, get the child away from the product. If thechild has some of it in his or her mouth, make the child spitit out or remove it with your fingers. Then take the child toa doctor and bring the container and anything removed from thechild’s mouth to help determine what kind of treatmentthe child needs.
If a child is unconscious, not breathing or having seizures,call 911 or the local emergency number right away. If your childdoes not have these symptoms, call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222.
