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- Knowledgebase: The One Minute Pediatrician
- These are short topics that Dr. Dennis wrote for use on the radio. Each topic reads in less than one minute!
- 20. Accidental Ingestions - Top
- Poisonings unfortunately are very frequent- over 2 million accidental ingestions occur in the US every year. Children under 5 years are at the greatest risk.
Prevention measures are the following:
1. Remove or lock up any potential poisons from your child's environment
2. Teach your children what things are dangerous to eat or drink when they are old enough to understand.
Medicines are the most frequent cause of fatal poisonings. Never tell your child that medicine is candy for any reason. Avoid letting young children know where medicines are kept and keep them in inacessible places.
Detergents and cleaning agents are the next most dangerous group with special concern over drain cleaners such as Lye and furniture polishes.
Another group of concern is petroleum products such as gasoline and especially kerosene.
Never put dangerous substances in a soda pop bottle (VERY common).
If your child should ingest anything that is a potential poison, all the poison control center immediately and then call the office.
Remember, children do not know what is dangerous and cannot be trusted to protect themselves. The best treatment for poisoning is PREVENTION. - Updated: April 27, 2001
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- Knowledgebase: The One Minute Pediatrician
James L Horwitz, MD
David C. Thomas, MD
Barbara Lindberg, PNP