Did you know that every single minute of the day, a poison control center receives a call about medicine poisoning for kids under 5? That’s an alarming statistic. Even worse, every 8 minutes, a child visits their local ER for medicine poisoning – that is 67,000 times a year!
Do you store medication up and away – every time? How about your purse, do you have medicine in your purse? Do you ever leave items like vitamins, eye drops, or diaper rash cream on the counter? It only take a few seconds for a curious child to find medicine, it is important to get all medications up and away – and out of sight of curious eyes.
Check out this eye-opening video on Medication Safety
Medication Safety – Don’t Let Your Guard Down
Safe Kids Worldwide works to prevent injuries across the globe every day. They have compiled a list of medication safety tips to keep your kids safe.
- Always put medicine up and away, and out of sight.
This includes all vitamins, kids medicine, and adult medicines. 86% of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning are a result of kids getting into adult medication. - Consider products you may not consider “medicine”.
This includes items like eye drops, rubbing alcohol, diaper cream, vitamins, which may not seem like medicine. - Be alert of visitors’ medicine.
Offer to put purses, coats and other belongings of guest out of reach of children. 43% of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning are a result of kids taking medicine that belonged to a relative. - Put medicines up, away, and out of sight every time.
Accidents happen fast, don’t be tempted to keep medicine in easy reach when you know you’ll need another dose in a few hours. A medicine bottle is not a good reminder – set an alarm on your phone instead. - Read all medicine labels.
Don’t assume that you remember the medicine dose for your child and don’t assume every brand is the same. Read the label on all medicine every time. Be aware of the active ingredients so you don’t give your child two medications with the same ingredients – this can cause an overdose! - Program Poison Control in all your phones: 1-800-222-1222
Be sure the # is handy for babysitters too.
After learning of these staggering statistics, I have made a lot of adjustments. I thought I was a responsible parent – thankfully my kids never got into medicine. I keep medication in a high cabinet, however, when my kids are sick, I always kept medicine on the bathroom counter. This made it easy to give them medicine at night if they wake up needing medication. I never thought that they could possibly wander into the bathroom and self-medicate! I’ll never do that again.
I also put Poison Control in all of our phones – it is better than just dialing 9-1-1! Talk to a qualified professional with experience with medicine poisoning right away.
I was over at my sister’s house this weekend. I have had a terrible sinus infection and keep decongestants, Advil, and eye drops in my purse. When I reached for my purse for medicine, I realized that I had left my purse on the floor – right where my 2 year old nephew and 4 year old niece were crawling around acting like puppies. I had a surge of panic go through me because I should have known better! I immediately put my purse up and away and will be conscious of it from now on – and with purses and coats of guests in my home.
Check out the below facts about kids and medication safety. You might be alarmed by what you learn. I was! Medicine poisoning is preventable – it is our responsibility to keep our little ones safe.
I hope that this post serves as a reminder to you as it has me to keep all medications up, away, and out of sight of children. You can never let your guard down when it comes to medication safety when it comes to our children. Please take these tips to heart and put them into practice at your home. Tell your friends and relatives as well.Check out more tips on preventing injuries on the Safe Kids Worldwide website.
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I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Safe Kids Worldwide and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
