Every year, hundreds of children need medical treatment for poisoning from products commonly found around the home. Babies and toddlers are most at risk of poisoning as they love to taste and eat everything as a way of exploring the world around them.
As babies become more mobile, they are more likely to be able to access different items around the house, so it is important to know what items are potentially poisonous and know how to store them safely.
Safety steps to prevent poisoning:
- Always keep potentially poisonous items out of reach.
- Store poisons in a locked cupboard, preferably at least 1.5m above the ground.
- Use child-restraint locks on cupboards and cabinets if you cannot store poisons up high.
- Keep call cleaning products, chemicals and medications in their original containers and avoid storing these with food items to avoid confusion.
- Return all poisons to their safe storage area immediately after purchase or use. If you are using one of these products when the doorbell rings, take the product with you.
- Dispose of any unwanted or unused medications. Contact your local pharmacy for advice.
- Place handbags out of reach, including visitor’s handbags’ as they may contain medications or other poisonous products.
- Read the label, dosage and instructions carefully before administering medications.
- Purchase products in child resistant containers and make sure the lids are on properly after use. Remember that ‘child resistant’ is NOT ‘child proof’, and many children can open child resistant containers.
First Aid for Poisoning:
If your baby is not breathing, becomes limp or unconscious, call 000.
If you think your baby may have swallowed something poisonous, take the container and your baby with you to call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.
Help is available 24/7 Australia wide. they will give you expert advice and tell you exactly what to do.
Common causes of poisoning:
- Medications
- Cleaning Products
- Dishwashing Powder
- Hand Sanitiser
- Essential Oils
- Fertilisers
- Weed Killers
- Alcohol
- Cigarettes
- E-cigarette Devices
- Liquids Containing Nicotine
- Cosmetics
- Many other household items
