Published: April 2, 2022
By: Courtesy of Children’s of Alabama
Your home should be a place of safety and protection for your family. But lots of products around the house can be poisonous if discovered by a child. Becky DeVore is an educator with the Alabama Poison Information Center. She frequently shares about ‘look-alikes’, cleaners or medicines that can be mistaken as edible by a child.
These look-alikes can be found in any color of the rainbow. Cleaning products, dental rinse, body spray, and cold medicine can all look like juice or a sports drink to a child. Even common medicine or vitamins can be mistaken as candy. That’s why DeVore says it’s crucial for anyone who has children in the home to store these products and medication up and away from a child’s reach or even in a locked container. DeVore cautions, it’s not enough to just put medicine in a pill box. It should be stored up and away or in a lockbox to prevent a child from ingesting it. And DeVore also recommends adults never take medicine in front of a child, since children like to mimic what adults do.
Another danger is in the laundry room. We’ve all heard the reports of children who have mistaken laundry pods as candy because of the bright colors. Laundry detergent and bleach should be stored up and away from a child’s reach.
DeVore also advises to only store cleaning products in their original containers. Never put cleaning products in old soda or water bottles, or any container that was used to store food.
If your child frequently stays at a relative’s house, assess the situation and ask that anything poisonous be kept out of reach of children.
Even with these precautions in place, accidents can happen. Fortunately, the Alabama Poison Information Center (APIC) offers a free, confidential hotline available 24/7. This line is staffed by registered nurses and pharmacists to answer any poison related questions. Save the number 1-800-222-1222 in your contact list on your phone so you can act quickly in case of an emergency.
For more on the Alabama Poison Information Center, visit http://www.childrensal.org/apic