The following is a prevention message from Safe Kids USA.
carbon monoxide detector
You can best protect your children by keeping harmful substances out of their sight and reach, and by testing for lead and carbon monoxide. Although household cleaners are a frequent cause of poisoning, kids can also be fatally poisoned by iron, alcohol and carbon monoxide. Prevention is key to safety.
Because no prevention method is 100 percent effective, learn how to keep poison exposure from turning into tragedy for you and your family.
Prevention in the kitchen:
- Keep cleaning products in their original containers. Never put a potentially poisonous product in something other than its original container (like a plastic soda bottle), where it could be mistaken for something harmless.
- Know which household products are poisonous.
- Lock up poisons out of children’s sight and reach.
Prevention in the bathroom:
- Always read labels and follow the exact directions. Give children medicines based on their weights and ages, and only use the dispensers that come packaged with children’s medications.
- Never refer to medicine or vitamins as “candy.”
- Do not have children help you take medication.
Prevention around the house:
- Be aware of medications that may be in your handbag. Store handbags out of the reach of young children.
- Install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in your home.
- Prevent CO buildup in the first place — make sure heating appliances are in good working order and used only in well-ventilated areas.
- Don’t run a car engine in the garage, even to warm it up; move the car outside first.
More Prevention tips from Safe Kids USA can be found at www.safekids.org
