Household Safety: Preventing Child Poisoning

Ask almost any parent and they will tell you their child’s safety is a top priority. Parents strap their children into car seats, slather them with sunscreen and examine food labels carefully, however, some parents are often unaware of the dangers that exist in the home. Regardless of a child’s age, the home should be a safe haven where exploration is encouraged. Knowing how to prevent a serious injury, like a poison-related injury, is a step towards achieving this goal.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every day in the U.S., 374 children between the ages of 0 to 19 are treated for poison-related injuries. Of the 374 children treated in emergency rooms across the nation, two children will tragically die as a result of their poison-related injuries. The Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) estimates that almost 70 percent of accidental poisonings are preventable. Where in the home do poisonings occur? Kitchens and bathrooms are generally thought of as the most dangerous areas of the house; however, the DPIC found that the majority of poisonings (26 percent) took place in areas outside of the kitchen and bathroom.

Although no parent can keep a child 100 percent safe at all times, supervision is the best way to prevent a child from ingesting a poisonous substance. Some other ways parents can “poison-proof” a home, include:

• Store all medications in a locked cabinet. Don’t assume a child won’t be able to reach a high cabinet. Kids have been known to climb a cabinet or toilet to reach items in a medicine cabinet.
• Keep purses and bags out of a child’s reach. Bags and purses often contain potentially poisonous substances.
• Store household cleaning products and aerosol sprays in a high cabinet far from reach. Also, don’t keep any cleaning supplies or dishwashing detergents under the sink. 
• Keep bottles of alcohol in a locked cabinet and don’t leave alcoholic drinks where children can reach them during social events.
• Keep children away from (or remove) plants in the house or yard that are poisonous.
• Test paint in older homes for lead. Call the National Lead Information Center  for more information on lead testing.

If your child is showing any of the signs or symptoms of poisoning, such as drowsiness, excessive drooling, vomiting, sudden change in behavior or listlessness, contact the California Poison Control System immediately. If you’re your child ingested a poisonous substance and has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Save the bottle or container of the substance your child ingested so poison control or emergency personnel know how to properly treat your child.

As a personal injury lawyer, I have witnessed the pain and agony parents experience when their child suffers a serious injury, such as a poison-related injury. Oftentimes, children are seriously inured due to a caregiver or babysitter’s inattentiveness. If your child suffered a serious injury as result of the negligent or careless actions of a caregiver, contact a northern California negligent supervision lawyer to discuss your legal rights and options.