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Small children love to explore. And one of
the most dangerous areas of the home is any
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place we store poisons for cleaning, or other
types of common substances we might use around
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the house. So make sure that when children
are in the house and able to get to those
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poisons, we use certain procedures to lock
up drawers and cupboards to prevent the child
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from getting into any poisons. It's best to
keep poisons stored up really high or out
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of the reach of children. There are commercially
made locks that will help secure cupboard
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doors and drawers. You can usually buy those
at any kind of baby supply store or a hardware
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store. But many times, you probably are wishing
that someone could show you how to use common
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household items when you don't have time to
go out to a store. Something as simple as
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a rubber band can help prevent a child from
being able to get into a cupboard. This is
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just one simple way to protect a child from
getting into poisonous substances. One complicating
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factor is that many times chemicals can look
like something good to drink. Often they're
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bright blue or another bright color, and that
looks like Kool-aid. However, children drinking
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substance is only part of the problem. Dishwasher
cleaning products can look like candy that's
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good to eat, but another point to cover as
we're talking about poisons, is the medicine
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cabinet. It should be secured just like we
do for any other type of cabinet that might
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have poisons. The problem with medicines is
that they sometimes look yummy, like candy,
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or they're flavored to taste good so kids
will take them. Kids don't know how to tell
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the difference between a medicine that helps
them and too much medicine that can hurt or
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even kill them. So as we look at medicine
cabinets, use the same precautions as we did
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for chemicals. Secure the cabinet closed so
that a child doesn't mistakenly poison himself
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with an overdose. if you suspect poisoning,
be alert for clues such as empty pill bottles
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or packages, scattered pills and burns around
their mouth, stains and odors on the person
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or nearby. Also, consider the possibility
that a person may have applied medicated patches.
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Signs and symptoms of poisoning may include:
Burns or redness around the mouth or lips,
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breath that smells like chemicals such as
gasoline or paint thinner. They may also be
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vomiting, having difficulty breathing, drowsiness,
confusion, or other altered mental status.
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There are treatments that have changed a lot
over the years in the area of first aid for
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poisoning. If you find a child that you suspect
as consumed a poison, call Poison Control.
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The national number is 800-222-1222. They
can help you identify the poison and guide
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you in treating the child. Having the Poison
Control Center phone number in a prominent
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location in your home near the phone is never
a bad idea. You want to be able to access
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it right away if needed. Call 911 and begin
CPR immediately if the person shows no signs
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of life such as not moving or breathing normally.
Take note that it may not be the best thing
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to make the child vomit immediately. Poison
Control will guide you in the best care depending
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on the poison that was ingested. One thing
that I like to have around is something that
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you can pretty much get online, or maybe at
the local drugstore. It's called activated
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charcoal. It's always great to have it on
hand because it works great to neutralize
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certain poisons. It doesn't mean you'll have
to use it every time, but having it in your
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medicine cabinet and available in case of
Poison Control asking for it, is never a bad
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idea.