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The American Association for Poison Control Centers reports that children under six make up more than half of all poisoning cases in the US. This is because children are less likely to understand the dangers that harmful substances pose to their health, and can consume these substances before their parents are able to stop them.
What can parents do to prevent their children from accidentally exposing themselves to harmful chemicals? The first step is to childproof your home by storing dangerous substances in safe places away from the reach of children.
Children can become confused by laundry pods due to their soft texture and bright colors. Doctors and poison control experts say parents should store any laundry pods in their original packaging, high off the ground, and far from anything children under six can reach.
Experts recommend households with young children refrain from purchasing laundry pods and instead buy liquid detergent. This is much more difficult for children to accidentally ingest.
If you have a childproof lock on your cabinets, make sure to keep all soaps and detergents in a compartment that is difficult for kids to access.
If you use e-cigarettes or vape pens, make sure you keep the cartridges of liquid nicotine far away from children. These colorful, sweet-smelling fluids can entice children to drink them, but doing so is harmful to the human body.
Store any e-cigarette liquid or cartridges in high places or in locked containers to prevent accidental ingestion. Never leave these substances lying on a table within reach of children under six.
Even if you explain the dangers of consuming these products, young children might disregard your instructions and consume the substances anyway.
Small button batteries can prove hazardous around very young kids. The small, round batteries used in watches and other electronic devices are easy for children to ingest, but doing so can result in serious poisoning. Battery acid is extremely harmful to the human body, so you should take pains to store these power cells far from children.
Make sure any battery-powered toys you give your child have secure battery compartments. If children can access the power cells without using a tool, they could swiftly ingest the battery before you notice anything is wrong. Refrain from giving children under six any toys that use button batteries they can accidentally access without using a screwdriver or similar tool.
