National Poison Prevention Week is observed during the third week of March, and is one of the longest health and safety campaigns in the United States. It is a great time to raise awareness about preventing poisoning and what to do about accidental poisonings.
Who are you going to call if your child swallows a poison?
Your instincts might tell you to call your pediatrician, and while your pediatrician can help with most other health and safety issues, this is one time you should call someone else.
The experts to call when anyone in your home has ingested a poison is your local poison control center, a free service that can be reached at 1-800-222-1222, a national, toll-free number.
It is important to know that poison control isn’t just for what you would think of as classic poisons though, such as pesticides or antifreeze.
You should also call poison control if your child:
*ingests a prescription or over-the-counter medicine, vitamin, or household cleaner, etc.
*gets bitten by what might be a poisonous snake or spider
*eats a poisonous plant
*accidentally gets a household cleaning product in their eyes
*breathes in a poisonous substance
Of course, it is even better to get your home well childproofed and get all of these types of items locked up and out of your reach to prevent poisonings in the first place, but it is still good to know that your local poison control center is there if you need them.
In addition to putting the number to poison control by your phone, consider programming the number into your cell phone so that you always have it handy.
Blue Ribbon News special contributor Vincent Iannelli, M.D. is a board certified pediatrician and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is the author of The Everything Father’s First Year Book, which is now in its updated, second edition. His office, in Rowlett, has been serving the Lake Ray Hubbard area for the past 15 years.
Connect with Dr. Iannelli on Facebook at facebook.com/LakeRayHubbardPediatrics.
To submit your news and events, or a guest column on your area of expertise, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
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