Poisons

Babies and toddlers learn about the world around them by touching and tasting. So they may put anything in their mouths. And this puts them at increased risk of poisoning. 500 under fives are rushed to casualty every week because it’s thought they’ve been poisoned. There’s also the poison that you can’t see, smell or taste – carbon monoxide, sometimes called ‘the silent killer’. Find out what you can do to protect your children from poisons.

Did you know?

• Every day, almost 20 children are admitted to hospital because it’s thought they have swallowed something poisonous.
• Medicines are the most common cause of accidental poisoning in children. Everyday painkillers are a frequent culprit.
• The kitchen and bathroom are the likeliest places for children to be accidentally poisoned by cleaning products.
• While child-resistant tops are helpful as they slow young children down, they are not completely childproof. Some three and four year-olds can open them within seconds.
• Due to their small size, children are more vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning. Low levels of carbon monoxide can harm an unborn child or damage a child’s developing brain.
• The flame on your gas fire, boiler or cooker should burn blue. If it’s yellow or orange, it could be a sign that poisonous carbon monoxide gas is escaping.
  
  

Safety tips

• When you’re trying to persuade a reluctant toddler to take their medicine, never pretend it’s a sweet.
• Children learn by imitating adults. So take your own medicine when they aren’t watching.
• Store medicines and cleaning products well out of young children’s reach and sight – on a high shelf or in a high cupboard with a child-resistant safety catch.
• Get down on your hands and knees to spot dangers from a young child’s point of view – for example, tablets in a handbag or cleaning products beside the toilet or under the kitchen sink.
• When you’re buying cleaning products, look for child-resistant tops and a bittering agent like Bitrex® in the ingredients. This makes the product taste really bitter so young children are far less likely to swallow it – helping to reduce accidental poisoning.
• Teach children never to eat plants or berries they have picked in the garden or countryside – without checking with an adult first.
• Get your gas appliances safety-checked every year by a CORGI registered installer. Don’t risk using an illegal gas worker – most of their work has serious safety defects.
• If you’ve an oil-fired boiler, get that checked regularly too.
• Get chimneys and flues checked regularly to make sure they’re not blocked.
• Invest in a carbon monoxide alarm for every room where there’s a gas or oil-fired appliance or open fire. This will sound an alarm if carbon monoxide is present.
  
  

Useful links

Test your knowledge with our quizzes on poison safety or enter our poison safety competitions

More information on accidental poisoning from:

• NHS Direct at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article
• www.direct.gov.uk/childsafety

A list of potentially harmful garden plants from the Royal Horticultural Society
www.rhs.org.uk/research/documents/c_and_e_harmful.pdf

To download a free leaflet and factsheet on carbon monoxide poisoning, visit
www.trustcorgi.com/carbonmonoxidekills

To search for a CORGI registered installer close to your home, visit www.trustcorgi.com/findinstaller

If you’ve found our safety information helpful, please consider making a donation to help us continue our work

© Child Accident Prevention Trust 2008