Prevent Childhood Poisonings & Overdose

It’s virtually impossible to guard against every danger, but the more steps you take to poison-proof your home, the safer you can keep your family.

• Post the poison-control number (800-222-1222) in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom and program it into your phone. Also post your child’s age and weight, as well as any health conditions they should know about, near the phone in case a babysitter needs to report that information to the poison-control center when you’re gone.
• To avoid an accidental medication overose, always get dosing instructions from your practitioner in milliliters (mL). Use a dosing syringe — not a dosing cup or spoon, and never a kitchen spoon — and be sure to turn on the lights and read dosage information carefully first. Ask your pediatrician if you’re at all unclear on how the medicine should be taken.
• Store all medications, cleaning and laundry supplies, alcoholic beverages, cosmetics and other potentially dangerous substances in childproofed cabinets. Make sure to keep everything out of your baby or toddler’s reach. A one-a-day pill dispenser or bottle of cough syrup can look like candy or a toy to a young child.
• Avoid taking medications in front of your little one, since little kids often try to imitate what you do.
• Never call medicine (like your tot’s vitamins) “candy” since this could entice your toddler to try to eat more of it. Even vitamins can be toxic (nutrients like iron or vitamin A, for instance, can be harmful if taken in large doses).
• Don’t throw medications away in open trash containers where your toddler or mobile baby can get to them. Follow the disposal instructions on the medication’s label, but make sure it’s disposed in a closed container that your child can’t get into.
• Be sure to ask for child-resistant safety caps for prescription medications for anyone in your family and choose over-the-counter medicines with child-resistant tops (a good rule for all hazardous products — like cleaning supplies). Keep all medications in their original child-resistant containers, and always replace the safety caps after you’ve taken the medicine.
• Buy only child-friendly nontoxic art supplies.
• Be extra careful about visitors (who may not be thinking about the risks of childhood poisoning) — and make sure they don’t leave their medication in places your little one can find them (like in Grandma’s open purse or on the coffee table).
• Make sure your garage and utility room is childproofed. Store all dangerous substances like gasoline, antifreeze, fertilizer, pesticides, paint and windshield-washing fluid in locked cabinets. And as with medicine, keep these dangerous substances in their original containers.
• Know what kinds of plants you have and whether or not they could be poisonous. If you do have a dangerous plant, keep it far from your child’s reach or consider getting rid of it.
• Beware of lead poisoning. Have the paint on the interior and exterior of your home tested for lead if your house was built before 1978. Also, stay up to date on toy recalls due to lead paint — you can get e-mail notifications from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Supervise your child as much as you can to avoid accidental childhood poisoning — especially if you’re away from home.

Sources: What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect the Second Year