CAREFUL parents ensure that their home offers a safe environment, especially for their young children. For example, they lock away sharp instruments and poisonous substances (including medicines), fence off the stairway, swimming pool and water storage areas, don't leave polythene bags within reach of the little ones, install safe-heating cooking equipment, and are always on the alert for possible causes of home accidents. In case accidental poisoning occurs at home, take everything in the vicinity of the victim as well to the hospital; it will help the treating doctor arrive at the right guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes small children may swallow cosmetic creams. If the ingredients are not mentioned on the container, contact the distributor of the product or even the manufacturer for details, as some of these creams may prove injurious if ingested. The following are tips to prevent accidental poisoning at home: 1. Insist on packages with safety closures and learn how to use them. 2. Keep household cleaning supplies, medicines, garage products, insecticides out of reach and sight of your child. Lock them up. Periodically review your child's extent of reach and curiosity and take precautions accordingly. 3. Never store food and cleaning products together. Store medicines and chemical in original containers and never in food and beverages containers. 4. Avoid taking medicine in your child's presence. Children learn to imitate. Always call a medicine by its proper name – never suggest a medicine as a sweet or candy especially children's medicine like aspirin or vitamins. 5. Read the label of all products and heed warnings and precautions. Never use medicine from an unlabelled container. Never pour medicine in a dark area where the label cannot be read. 6. If you are interrupted while using a product, take it with you; it only takes a few seconds for a child to get to it. 7. Know what your child can do physically. If you have a crawling infant, keep the home products stored above the floor lever, not beneath the kitchen sink. 8. Keep the phone number of your doctor, regional poison information center, hospital, police, fire department or paramedical emergency squad in your city near the phone. First aid Make sure your first aid kit at home has ipecae syrup and activated charcoal. Ipecae syrup (not extract) when ingested – 3 teaspoon full orally – followed by water, induces vomiting. Activated charcoal is used to absorb the poison so it is not absorbed from the stomach. Sometimes you will need the help of a poison center for guidance on what to do immediately. Do not induce vomiting if acids or alkali are taken – milk is given (250 ml) for a child, but do not give vinegar or lemon. Eye poisoning Irrigate with plain water with a drinking glass for 15-20 minutes, and transport for eye examination and professional advice. Poisonous gas Inhaled fumes, gas, smoke – take the patient out to fresh air. Do not enter the poison zone without proper protection. The writer is a pediatrician at My Care Medical Center with M.B., B.S. DCH (Dublin) __
