Poison Proofing Your Home

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Poison proofing your home means making it a safe place for your child. You do this by keeping your child from having access to poisons found inside and outside of your home. A poison is any substance that causes an unwanted effect, including illness or death. Most commonly a poison may be swallowed. Some may also be inhaled (breathed in) or be absorbed (taken into the body) through the skin or eyes. There are many substances in your home can cause an accidental poisoning. You can reduce this risk by taking simple steps to prevent your child from reaching or being near the poisons in your home. This will help prevent your child from drinking, eating, breathing in, touching, or absorbing any of these substances.
  
  
• Many substances in your home can cause an accidental poisoning. These include medicines and other chemicals, such as soap, dishwashing liquid, drain cleaners and bleach, and anti-freeze. Insecticides such as insect sprays, and personal care products such as baby oil, can also cause poisoning. Pesticides, dust and soil that contain lead or mercury, and second-hand smoke may also poison your child. Immediate effects of poisoning may include nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, seizures (convulsions), and stomach pain. Long term effects include problems with learning and growth, muscle weakness, and an increased risk for certain diseases. The risk of accidental poisoning can be prevented by poison proofing your home. You can protect your family by following simple steps to make your home safe from household poisons.

INSTRUCTIONS:

What things can poison my child in the home?

Children who are more active and play or touch their surroundings more are at a higher risk. Things that can poison your child include any of the following:

• Chemicals: Cleaning substances, such as soaps, cleaning solutions, and dishwashing liquid. Caustic chemicals such as drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and oven cleaners. Bathroom chemicals such as rubbing alcohol. Other chemical poisons found in the home include laundry bleach, furniture polish and lighter fluid.
  
  
• Food items: Alcoholic beverages and flavoring oils, such as oil of wintergreen, can poison a child.
  
  
• Insecticides: Substances that kill insects include insect sprays, flea bombs, and foggers. These substances can stay on the floor and carpets, in the air or in dust, and on toys, furniture and bedding. These substances also include medicines put on the skin or hair to treat lice and scabies.
  
  
• Medicines: Almost any medicine can be a poison if too much is taken. Pain medicines and those used to treat depression can be very harmful. Also those for heart diseases, diabetes, coughs, colds, allergies, seizures (convulsions), and asthma. Vitamins can be harmful, especially if they contain iron, such as prenatal vitamins. Harmful over-the-counter (OTC) preparations include heat rubs and decongestant ointments and medicines to treat diarrhea and constipation. Street drugs in your home, such as amphetamines, may be found and swallowed by your child.
  
  
• Personal care products: Personal care and hygiene products, such as hair products, baby oil, and mouth wash.
  
  
• Plants: Eating houseplants may cause your child to be sick. Some contain harmful chemicals and may cause poisoning.
  
  
• Second-hand smoke: Smoke coming from a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, or smoke exhaled (breathed out) by the smoker.

What other things can poison my child?

Things outside the home and those that can be brought inside the home can also cause poisoning. Children living on farms or who have parents who work on them are at a higher risk of getting these poisons. These may include any of the following:

• Chemicals: Common chemicals found around the home include gasoline, windshield washer solutions, and anti-freeze. Others include solvents such as paint thinner and turpentine.
  
  
• Lead: House dust and soil can contain lead from paint and gasoline. Lead from factories or hobbies such as stained glass and glazed pottery making, may be inhaled. Your child may eat paint chips, and drink water or eat from utensils or dinnerware that has lead. A condition called pica, where your child eats non-food items such as soil, may result in lead poisoning. Certain toys, medicines, cosmetics, ink on labels, and food products may contain lead and also cause poisoning. Ask your caregiver for more information about lead poisoning.
  
  
• Mercury: This is found in barometers, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, and thermostats. Smoke coming from factories, spills, or incinerators that burn mercury-containing fuels may also cause poisoning
  
  
• Pesticides: Pesticides (chemicals to kill pests) include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and rodenticides used in gardening and farming.

How would I know if my child has been poisoned?

Some poisons take effect quickly while signs of slower acting ones may appear hours or days later. Look for tell-tale items such as spilled pills or liquids, or empty pill bottles or other containers. Your child may show these:

• Early signs of poisoning:
  
  
  • Changes in alertness: You child may become drowsy or lose consciousness where you cannot wake him up. He may act confused. He may have seizures (convulsions). He may get overly active and excited.
    
    
  • Breathing signs:
    
    
    • Chemical breath odor: His breath may smell of the chemical or substance he drank or ate.
      
      
    • Trouble breathing: His breathing may become fast. He may have shortness of breath or a hard time breathing. He breathing may stop, which is life threatening.
    
    
  • Oral and stomach signs: These include things seen on your child's lips or in his mouth:
    
    
    • Burns or redness to mouth: These are signs that your child drank something caustic or irritating.
      
      
    • Too much saliva: Your child may drool and have saliva (spit) may come out from his mouth. He may have foamy saliva.
      
      
    • Upset stomach: Your child may have nausea (upset stomach). He may also have pain in the abdomen (belly), fever, or diarrhea (loose bowel movements).
      
      
    • Vomiting: He may have vomiting (throwing up). The vomiting may be strong and his vomit may be bloody or contain the poison that he swallowed. His mouth may turn dry and he may lose his appetite.
    
    
  • Other signs:
    
    
    • Ears and eyes: Your child's eyes may turn red and have too much tearing. His pupils (black area in the center of the eye) may be very wide or very narrow. He may have ringing in his ears.
      
      
    • Irregular heartbeat: This may happen when the heart is affected from severe poisoning. Your child may faint or have seizures (convulsions). He may become drowsy, lose consciousness, or collapse and not respond to you.
      
      
    • Problems passing urine: Your child may urinate frequently or his urine may stay in his bladder for a long time.
      
      
    • Skin rashes: These may be seen when pesticides come into contact with the skin. Your child may also have stinging, burning, itching, tingling feeling on the skin, or numbness (loss of feeling).
  
  
• Later signs of poisoning:
  
  
  • Fast heartbeat: When his heart gets affected, it may beat very slow or very fast. He may have chest pain, and he may faint, or pass out and not wake up.
    
    
  • Increased risk for diseases: Your child, if exposed to second-hand smoke or pesticides for a long time, may be at risk for certain diseases. He may have an increased risk for cancer, asthma, tooth caries (cavities), and high cholesterol levels in the blood. He may also have sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), frequent infections, or problems with his behavior .
    
    
  • Loss of appetite: When your child is exposed to small amounts of poison each day, he may lose his appetite. He may also have frequent headaches, pain in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. He may lose weight without really wanting to and get tired easily. Your child may also have an unusual smell in his mouth.
    
    
  • Muscle weakness: Your child may have muscle twitching where the muscles move without wanting to. He may also have muscle pain and stiffness, tremors, and convulsions, such as from long term ipecac exposure.
    
    
  • Problems with growth and learning: This may be caused by damage to your child's brain, blood, and kidneys from mercury and lead poisoning. He may have problems concentrating, gets distracted easily, and is too active all of the time. He may have problems hearing, seeing, and remembering things when exposed to mercury. He may have tremors, get angry easily, and may be shy most of the time. With lead poisoning, he may often hurt those around him physically and not have many friends. His ability to learn may be very low and he may stop growing early in his life.

What should I do if I think my child has been poisoned?

Early and effective first aid treatment is needed right away after the poisoning. The treatment will depend on how your child was exposed to the poison.

• Call 911: If your child has lost consciousness or has stopped breathing, call 911 immediately .
  
  
• If your child is conscious and alert:
  
  
  • First aid: Do first aid to remove or limit your child's contact with the poison:
    
    
    • Inhaled: Remove your child from the place where he has inhaled the poison. Get him to an area of fresh air.
      
      
    • Skin or eye contact: Rinse your child's eye or skin for 15 to 20 minutes using tap water. This will help flush out the poison from his eye or skin.
      
      
    • Swallowed: Get what your child has swallowed away from him. Make him spit out anything that is still in his mouth. Keep the container of the poison or a sample of what he swallowed to help your caregiver identify it.
    
    
  • Call poison control center: After doing first aid, call (800) 222-1222 to reach the local poison control center. Follow their advice for what to do next. Call even if you are not sure your child has been poisoned. They can tell you whether to seek treatment and what changes to watch for in your child.
    
    
    • Do not try to make your child vomit unless told to do so by a poison control expert.
      
      
      • Do not give your child syrup of ipecac to make him vomit up the poison. Vomiting may cause further injury to your child.
        
        
      
      

What should I know about lead poisoning from toys?

• Some toys may contain high levels of lead. Your child may suck, chew, or even swallow these toys and get lead poisoning. He may hold and play with them then put his hands in his mouth. Other toys may use lead-based paints to color them. The paint may chip or peel, and your child may inhale or eat this. These toys may not have passed safety standards and are unsafe for your child to play with. Remove them from your child's toy box and dispose of them.
  
  
• If you see your child chewing or sucking on a toy like this, call the poison control center right away. Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning include vomiting and pain in the abdomen (belly). He may cry often, be fussy, or have lethargy (sleeps more than usual and hardly wakes up). You can contact your local public health department for more information. You can also go to the internet, to the following website to see the list of lead-containing toys being recalled: http://www.cpsc.gov

What can I do to poison proof the inside of my home?

If he is old enough, tell your child not to put his hands or anything he may hold inside his mouth. Have him wash his hands before eating, especially after playing. Do the following to help prevent poisoning inside your home:

• Post the poison control number: Write down the poison control telephone number and put this in a place that can be easily seen.
  
  
• Household chemicals and products:
  
  
  • Containers: Do not put substances that can be harmful in different or unmarked containers. Keep these substances in the child-resistant containers they came in.
    
    
  • Labels: Leave the original labels on all the products. Be sure to read and understand them before using.
    
    
  • Storage: Keep substances that can be harmful away from children. Use child-proof locks on cabinets where these items are stored. Store unlocked substances well out of reach of children.
    
    
  • Ventilation: Keep children away from chemicals that give off fumes when you use them. Use such chemicals in a place that is well ventilated and away from heat sources.
    
    
  • Watch your child: Never let your child out of your sight when you or he is using a product that may poison him. Take him with you if you need to answer the phone or door bell.
  
  
• Medicines: Remember that child-resistant containers are not "child-proof."
  
  
  • Always turn on the light when giving medicine to your child. Make sure to check the dosage each time.
    
    
  • Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Do not call medicine "candy."
    
    
  • Clean out your medicine cabinet regularly. Safely dispose of (throw away) medicines that you do not need or are expired (outdated).
    
    
  • Keep medicines in their original child-resistant containers or blister packs.
    
    
  • Keep medicines out of sight and reach of children. It is better if these items are stored and locked up. Keep children out of purses and backpacks. Keep children out of visitors' belongings.
    
    
  • Remind older family members and visitors to keep their medicines safely secured when your child is present.

How can I make the areas that my child plays in safe?

Make your child safe and the areas he plays in free from any of the following substances:

• Lead:
  
  
  • Screen for lead: Have your house screened for lead paint problems especially if it was built before 1978. If found present, have your house repainted with lead-free paint.
    
    
  • Avoid lead paint: Keep your child away from peeling or chipping paint and surfaces painted with lead-based paint. These may include windows, windowsills, and window wells.
    
    
  • Cleaning when lead is present:
    
    
    • Clean surfaces with a wet mop or wet wipe using trisodium phosphate cleaner. This solution can be found in hardware stores. You can also use an automatic dishwasher soap and water.
      
      
    • Do not use a vacuum to clean hard surfaces. This may scatter dust that may contain lead even more.
      
      
    • Wash toys and pacifiers often to remove lead dust.
    
    
  • Lead outdoors: If the soil around your home contains lead, plant grass or other ground cover in it. If the lead is coming from paint or walls, plant bushes next to the house to keep your child away. If your child plays in a sandbox, use one with a solid bottom, top cover, and clean sand.
  
  
• Mercury:
  
  
  • Food: Do not let your child eat seafood that has a high content of mercury.
    
    
  • Items containing mercury: Contact your local public health department for more information about items containing mercury. Remove items that contain mercury such as old thermometers, and blood pressure devices. These should not be placed in the trash but disposed of through a recycling center for dangerous wastes. Ask for information on how to dispose of fluorescent light bulbs.
    
    
  • Spilled mercury: Immediately remove your child from the area and open the windows. Spilled mercury should not be vacuumed up. This may further spread the mercury into the air and cause more poisoning. Call your local health department for information about how to clean up mercury in your house.
  
  
• Other substances:
  
  
  • Household and gardening chemicals:
    
    
    • Seal cracks and openings on walls and floors, and clean food and water sources instead of using insecticides.
      
      
    • Store pesticides in a locked in a cabinet or building. Do not reuse old containers.
      
      
    • Use baits or traps instead of pesticides.
      
      
    • Use hand weeding to maintain lawns and gardens instead of herbicides.
    
    
  • Handle chemicals with caution and avoid contact with them: Use personal protective devices, such as gloves, respirators and coveralls, when working with poisonous substances. Hand wash after every contact with chemicals. If you work with dangerous chemicals, do not bring traces of poison from work on your skin, clothes, or shoes into your home. Remove your work clothes as soon as possible and do not mix them with regular clothes during laundry.
    
    
  • Second hand cigarette smoke: Make your home smoke-free. Do not let your child be near anyone who is smoking inside and outside of the home.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• Your child has a poor appetite or is tired most of the time.
  
  
• Your child has a hard time learning.
  
  
• Your child has nausea, vomiting, or pain in the abdomen.
  
  
• Your child has problems with his behavior.
  
  
• Your child has rashes or a burning, itching, or tingling feeling on the skin.
  
  
• Your child has tremors or his muscles are twitching.
  
  
• Your child is sleepy most of the time.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• Your child has chest pain or trouble breathing all of a sudden.
  
  
• Your child has lost consciousness.
  
  
• Your child has seizures.
  
  
• Your child has severe pain in the abdomen.
  
  
• Your child is drooling or vomiting strongly.
  
  
• You know or think someone has been poisoned.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.