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Everything Looks Like Candy to a Child
Here at Careteam+ we take special care of our pediatrics patients and their parents. Often new parents are unaware of the everyday things that can cause harm or make their curious toddlers very sick. March 20th through the 26th is National Poison Prevention Week, a perfect time to shine a light on the household items that can poison your child and smart ways to prevent this from happening.
More than two million poisonings are reported to the nation’s poison centers each year. 48% of those poisonings occur in children younger than six years old, followed by 38% in adults and 7% in teens.
Most of us know that cleaning products like sprays and detergents are toxic and take care to secure cabinets or store these things high out of the reach of little fingers. However, according to statistics provided by the National Capital Poison Center, the most common substances implicated in poison exposure of young children are cosmetics and personal care products (14%). Cleaning products (11%) and pain medications (9.3%), like aspirin and ibuprofen, round out the top three.
If you look at cosmetics, bath oils and perfumes through the eyes of a child you can see how they might look like candy or soda pop. Most of these items smell good and colors are enticing. Young children have a tendency to put things in their mouth first and ask questions later. Items like nail polish remover, lotion and even toothpaste can all harm your child. Topping the list are any products containing alcohol, like cologne and mouthwash. Kids love to mimic their parents. They see you “drink” the mouthwash but they may not see that you spit it out. Hair products can cause burns in the mouth and even baby oil can be very dangerous if it gets into a child’s lungs.
Though we use these products everyday, it is best to store them in a secured cabinet or drawer, a locked container, or high on a shelf that your child cannot reach. As you look around your bathroom or scan your dresser trying to identify the things that could pose a poisoning problem, keep in mind that everything looks like candy to a child. Better to be safe than sorry. Careteam+ wants to see our tiny patients grow up healthy and safe