Be prepared.
Save your poison center's number: 1-800-222-1222 (US only).
Save the webPOISONCONTROL online tool as a browser favorite.
Install a carbon monoxide alarm in every sleeping area of your home.
Poison proof every home where your child spends time.
Lock household products and medicines out of your child’s reach.
Use child-resistant packaging. Replace caps securely.
Store household products in a different place from food and medicine.
Keep purses out of your child's reach.
Use medicines safely.
Read the label before taking or giving medicine. Follow instructions exactly.
Use the correct dosing syringe or cup, NOT a household spoon.
Ask your child’s pediatrician before giving any herbal medicine or supplement.
Read this report about medicine and child safety from Safe Kids Worldwide
These especially hazardous household products must always be kept out of a child's reach. Buy small quantities only. Discard unneeded extras safely.
Keep button batteries out of reach of children. Secure the battery compartment on remote controls, key fobs, cameras, watches, flameless candles, and every battery-powered product. Why? Batteries lodged in the esophagus can burn a hole in just 2 hours, causing death or damage that will require feeding tubes, breathing tubes, and extensive surgical repair.
Safe Kids produced an interactive graphic to show you some issues parents may miss when trying to make their house safer for young children. Check it out!
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Oxygen absorber packets inhibit food spoilage by removing dissolved oxygen from food. They also preserve the color, texture, and aroma of food. The packets contain iron powder, salt, and activated carbon or clay. If swallowed, choking or digestive tract blockage is a risk. Iron poisoning is unlikely since this type of iron is poorly absorbed, but mild stomach irritation can occur.
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Slime is a stretchy, colorful material often made of water, glue, and borax. However, recipes vary. Slime can be store-bought or homemade. If swallowed, stomachache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and intestinal blockage can occur. Skin reactions that can occur include redness, itching, and dermatitis as well as blisters and burns due to borax.
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Blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea) is an aquatic plant that contains psychoactive chemicals (apomorphine and nuciferine). As a tea, it is used for relaxation, sleep, and to provide a mood boost. Smoking or vaping it can cause euphoria. Small amounts of pure plant material are probably safe, but it may be contaminated with toxic substances. Drug interactions are possible. It is legal in the US but not approved for human consumption.
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Diuretics, also known as water pills, help your body get rid of extra water. They are used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and kidney disease. A single overdose is usually not serious, but toxicity can occur with chronic use or misuse. Problems include dehydration and imbalances in blood salts (electrolytes), which can cause abnormal heart rhythms, muscle spasms, or muscle breakdown.
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Squishy toys are filled with a gel or solids that are minimally toxic if a child bites into one or swallows a small amount. The primary risks are choking in very young children and severe burns from a toy that has been microwaved, frozen, or left somewhere hot. Counterfeit toys present a risk as well, as they may contain lead, solvents, or unregulated substances.
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Bemotrizinol is a new chemical sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. It is not absorbed into the body, rarely causes skin irritation, is photostable and does not degrade in sunlight, and is transparent so it does not leave a white color on the skin. Allergic reactions are possible. The brand name is Parsol Shield. It is approved for adults and children 6 months of age and older.
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Paraquat is an herbicide used for weed control. Paraquat solution is corrosive even at low concentrations, so getting it on the skin, getting it in the eyes, or swallowing it causes burns. When swallowed, it is taken up by the lungs, resulting in cell death and scarring of the lungs. It can cause kidney failure, liver injury, and heart failure. The toxic and lethal doses are low, and there is no antidote. There is evidence that paraquat increases Parkinson’s disease risk.
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Eating raw flour is not advisable since it can cause food poisoning from bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Homemade play dough is not safe for children since it contains raw flour. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, fever, and headache. Treatment may include oral or intravenous fluids, depending on severity.
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Pear, prune, and plum seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that the body metabolizes into cyanide. Cyanide deprives cells of oxygen and is a lethal poison. Symptoms following exposure may be delayed. Swallowing the seeds from 1 pear core, or 1 or 2 whole plum or prune seeds, is unlikely to cause harm. Chewing or crushing seeds, or swallowing several at once, raises the risk of cyanide poisoning.
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Peanut allergy is an immune response to peanut proteins. It usually lasts a lifetime. Symptoms range from skin rashes and wheezing to tingling of the mouth and throat, throat tightness, and lip swelling. Life-threatening effects include anaphylaxis and respiratory distress. Avoid peanuts and carry an epinephrine autoinjector. Giving peanuts at an early age decreases the risk of peanut allergy.
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