Saturday, May 25th, 2013

Quick Facts

  • Each year, approximately 100 children ages 14 years and under die as a result of unintentional poisoning.
  • Each year, there are more than 90,000 nonfatal poisonings to children that are treated in hospital emergency rooms.
  • More than 1.2 million unintentional poisonings among children ages 5 years and under were reported to U.S. poison control centers in 2004.
  • In 2005, nearly 63,000 drug poisonings happened to children under age 5 years.
  • Non-pharmaceutical products such as cosmetics, cleaning substances, plants, foreign bodies and toys, pes­ticides, art supplies, and alcohol are responsible for 56 percent of poisoning exposures for children under 5 years of age.
  • Each year, an estimated seven children ages 14 years and under are fatally poisoned by exposure to carbon monoxide (CO).
  • For every 10 poison exposures in children, approximately 9 occur in the home.
  • Calls to poison control centers peak between 4 -11 p.m., especially during warmer months.
  • Children are poisoned by household and personal care products, medicines, vitamins, pesticides, plants, lead, and carbon monoxide.
  • Among children under 5 years of age, more than half of poisoning exposures are by products such as cosmetics, cleaning substances, plants, toys, pesticides, art supplies, and alcohol; 44 percent of poison exposures are attributed to medicines.

Who Is At Risk?

  • Black children under 14 years of age have a poisoning death rate twice that of white children.
  • Children ages 5 years and under are at greatest risk for nonfatal poisoning.
  • In 2005, half of all poisoning cases occurred to children age 6 years and under.
  • Males are at a slightly higher risk for poisoning injury or death than females.

Prevention Checklist

  • Know which household products are poisonous.
  • Keep poisonous products out of kids’ reach.
  • Keep the National Poison Control Center hotline number by each phone (800) 222-1222.
  • Don’t mix different cleaning products together.
  • Keep products in the original containers. Read labels to learn if a product is poisonous and for first aid information.
  • Never refer to medicine or vitamins as candy.
  • Choose medicines and products that have child-resistant caps.
  • Keep make-up, hair spray, cologne and other personal products away from children.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors in the home.
  • Throw away old medicines and cleaning products.
    Sub-tab: Poison Prevention.

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