3/14/22 blog post
pretty poisons: how to save your child from toxic products
some products may look enticing to children but are actually deadly
Take a second and look at the North Carolina Poison Control Center’s look-a-likes poster below. Can you tell which item is medicine and which is a toxic substance?
When looking at the picture remember, not all children can read the label and if they can, they might not know what it means. It only takes one second for a child to get into medicine and it becomes a dangerous situation. When a child comes into contact with any of these items, they usually cannot tell the difference between a Tums tablet and a SweetTARTS or blue Gatorade and Windex. We call these items “pretty poisons” as they look “pretty” or appetizing to children, but are very poisonous to children, causing them severe injury, even death. Due to the appetizing, pretty nature of these poisonous products, children are attracted to them not knowing that they can be very harmful.
Often, when children are brought to the emergency department for medicine poisoning, parents say that they only looked away for a minute. And unfortunately, one minute is all it takes for kiddos to get into something they shouldn’t.
As a parent, it’s important to know and practice safe medicine storage. Here are some tips to remember:
1. Child-resistant does not mean childproof. A lot of parents think “child-resistant” means a child won’t be able to get into the medicine. Research suggests that about half of accidental medicine poisonings involved children getting into child-resistant packaging. While it might delay a child from getting into the medicine, it is not a 100 percent guarantee that they don’t ingest the products. There is no substitution for keeping medicine out of reach and out of sight.
2. Going to grandmas can increase risk: Statistically, 48 percent of children get into their grandparents’ medicine and 67 percent of grandparents live with or within 50 miles of at least one grandchild. Typically, grandparents take more medications which can mean there is a higher chance of your child getting into something they shouldn’t. It’s important to make sure that grandma and grandpa know to keep their medicines up and away from reach too.
3. Kids are curious climbers. Research suggests that in about half of over-the-counter (OTC) poisoning cases, the child climbed on a chair, toy or another object to reach the medicine. While a lot of parents report storing medicine within a child’s sight, medicine should always be stored out of reach (above counter height) and out of sight (like high in a cabinet) at all times. You can even store your medications in a cabinet that has a safety lock for extra protection.
It's important to also remember that the Poison Helpline is 1-800-222-1222. Store this number in your phone or in an easily accessible place for emergencies. While our hope is that you will never need to use it, it is always better to be safe and stay prepared with access to their free, 24/7 service in case of an emergency.
