Poison Prevention Week: what can parents do?

Did you know that each year, more than 1.2 million children ages 5 and under are unintentionally poisoned? Whether it's medication on your dresser, cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink, cosmetics in your bathroom or carbon monoxide from gas appliances in your home, you can take simple steps to keep your kids safe.
Have you taken a look closely around your house lately? You might be very surprised to find items like medications that you have left out on the counter, microwave, bathroom cabinet and just not thought about it. Here at our house my kids are getting a little older and we have gotten more relaxed with poison prevention. So I did a survey and was shocked to see the stuff that I just had sitting here and there within child's reach.
When I showed some of our medications to my youngest daughter who is 8, she could not tell the difference in some pills and candy. This lead to a nice discussion about medications and candy look alikes.
Never keep medications out, always keep them in the child resistant containers labeled as they should be, and never call your medications "candy" even if you think you are just kidding around, your child thinks everything you say is true. 

Medication Safety Tips

From Safe Kids
Store medications out of your child’s sight and reach.

• Do not leave medicines in your purse, an unlocked kitchen or bathroom cabinet or a kitchen or bedside table.

• Read labels to find out what can be poisonous. Keep those things separate from toothpaste, soap and other things you use every day.

• Never leave medicines or potentially poisonous household products unattended while you are using them.

• Do not leave out loose pills.

• Buy child-resistant packages when available. 

Be safe when giving medicines to your children.

• Always read labels, follow directions and give medicines to children based on their weights and ages. 

• Avoid confusion by keeping all medicines and potentially poisonous household products in their original packages.

• Do not take medicine or vitamins in front of kids, or involve children as helpers with your medication.

• Tell grandparents and friends about avoiding medication poisoning when your family visits their homes.

Learn the toll-free nationwide poison control center number (1-800-222-1222), program it into all phones and keep it near every phone.

• If you suspect your child has been poisoned, take the product to the phone and call 1-800-222-1222. If your child has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911.

• Poison control centers offer fast, free, confidential help in English and Spanish. Most poisonings are resolved over the phone. The number works from anywhere in the United States 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Follow the operator’s instructions.

• Do not make the child vomit or give him anything unless directed. 

 Stay tuned, I'm not done yet.............