Accidental Poisoning in Babies: Prevention and First Aid

80% of child poisoning cases occur between 1 to 4 years. Poison prevention is something that every parent should be acquainted with in order to keep their little ones safe at home.

Babies love to grab and put things in their mouth. This is their way of exploring and learning about the world. But this can turn dangerous if they put poisonous things in their mouth. As they do not understand what is hazardous for them, parents should ensure that poisonous things are not at their disposal. There are many things in households that can be harmful for the little one. It is vital to keep them away and spot if there is any sign that the baby is poisoned.

Household Items Which Can Cause Poisoning in Babies

The first way to prevent accidental poisoning is by staying cautious about the things you leave around the house and your baby’s access to it. These common household and personal things could be dangerous if ingested by your baby:

1. Make-up
2. Cleaning products
3. Pills or medicines
4. Plants in the house
5. Garden pesticides
6. Paint or decorative items
7. Paint removers
8. Perfumes or aftershaves
9. Aromatherapy oils

Signs of Poisoning

Sudden unrecognisable illnesses in your baby could be signs of accidental poisoning. If your feel that your baby has swallowed something harmful, these are some symptoms which would help you trace the cause:

• Vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Stomach ache
• Diarrhea
• Pain or mouth-burn
• Fever or chilliness
• Irregular breathing
• Losing appetite
• Headache or irritation
• Skin rash
• Blue lips and skin
• Rashes on skin
• Unconsciousness

First Aid for Child Poisoning

If your child has poisoned himself, these are some following steps for immediate aid:

• Figure out, what, how much and when was the substance swallowed by your child.
• Call the ambulance.
• Keep a sample of the poison to show the ambulance crew. They will help you know the acute problem and repercussions.
• Administer CPR if needed.

Preventive Measures

• Go through the list of items which can harm your child within the household. Keep them labeled and out of his reach.
• Put locks on drawers which have dangerous items. You could also keep them on large cabinets or boxes which are away from your child’s reach.
• No child-resistant containers are completely childproofed. Keep them away.
• Don’t keep medicines in your baby’s reach. Don’t carry medicines in the pocket or handbag. Don’t let your child play with empty containers of medicines. He might discover how to open a child-resistant lid.
• Keep medicines, cleaning products or pesticides in their original containers and never replace them in containers which were once used for food or drinks. Your baby can be confused and might think that it is something to eat.
• Wash old medicine and cosmetic containers before throwing them.
• If you are at someone else’s house, take your preventive measures for childproofing.
• Keep bags brought by guests, out of your baby’s reach. They might have medicines or perfumes which could be harmful.

As a baby learns to crawl and walk, he will explore new places and try to fiddle with what comes at his grab. It is advised to have a constant supervision on the child, till he reaches the age of understanding what could harm him, or at least till he stops putting random things in his mouth.