We usually try to be pretty upbeat around here, but we can’t let Poison Prevention Week go by without dwelling on all kinds of bad things. Especially since something like Poison Prevention Week really is probably the best way to keep certain bad things from happening. That’s why we’ve been studying a recent report from SafeKids.org that has some scary statistics and also very helpful advice. We recommend taking a look through the whole thing. The report covers how to make sure you’re giving your child the proper amount of medicine, and has lots of recommendations on storage and other safety matters. There’s also this very quick reference that we’ve pretty much committed to memory…
Tips to Keep Kids Safe Around Medicine
- Put medicine and vitamins up and away and out of sight. In 67 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the medicine was left within reach of the child, such as in a purse, on a counter, or under a sofa cushion.)
- Even if you are tempted to keep it handy, put medicine out of reach after every use.
- Look around your home for products you might not think about as harmful, like rubbing alcohol, eye drops or gummy vitamins, and store them out of the reach of children.
- When you have guests in your home, offer to put purses, bags and coats where kids can’t get to them. (In 43 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the child got into medicine belonging to a relative, such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent.)
- Be alert to medicine in places your child visits. Take a look around to make sure there isn’t medicine within reach of your child.
- Program the nationwide poison control center number (1-800-222-1222)into your phones.
That’s all good advice, and we’re also spending a lot of time with this infographic. It’s full of scary facts and figures, but we’re going to file all this under being scared straight. Nobody said being a mom was easy, and sometimes that means facing up to the grim facts–and doing your best to not be a statistic. We can’t tell you to enjoy this infographic, but give it a lot of attention…
