Poison: mummy to the rescue

In their curiosity, children tend to sniff around their habitat to discover the hidden wonders.Unfortunately, this can cause them to stumble upon dangerous substances during these wonder expeditions; followed by the unspeakable ingestion. The good news is that the most commonly consumed substances are not lethal. But research shows that poisoning is one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in children. Common things that kids easily fall victim to include: cleaning solutions, polishing agents, plants, pesticides, fertilizer, and medicine, among others.

If your child has taken something poisonous

• Stay calm but act quickly
• Check her mouth and remove any remaining poison, with your fingers or make her spit it out.
• Keep this material along with anything else that might help determine what your child swallowed
• Do not treat or induce vomiting until you have consulted a professional. Vomiting can sometimes cause long-term damage
• Take the poison container with you to help the doctor determine what was swallowed.

If your child’s skin has been affected

• Remove her contaminated clothes and rinse the skin with water at room temperature for at least 15 minutes
• Do not apply ointments or grease
• Call a doctor for help.

If the substance went into her eyes

• Ensure they don’t rub their eyes
• Do not put the child’s head under a running tap
• Gently hold eyelids open while pouring cool water into the eyes for 15 minutes
• Call a doctor
• Do not use eye-drops or ointment unless the doctor tells you to.

When you call the doctor, have the following information ready:

• Your name and phone number
• Child’s condition
• Age and weight of child
• How much poison was taken
• The time poisoning happened
• Name of products and ingredients

Poisonous fume

In the home, poisonous fumes can come from:

• A car running in a closed garage
• Leaky gas vents
• Wood, coal or kerosene stoves that are not working right
• Ovens, stoves, or hot water heaters that use gas.

If your child is exposed to choking fumes or gasses, have her breathe fresh air right away. If she is breathing, call the doctor.

If she has stopped breathing, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Do not stop until she breathes on her own. Then call a doctor for help.

ENd: BL 34 / 29.