A toddler was admitted to the hospital after taking an overdose of Quillivant XR (methylphenidate). This medicine is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It had been prescribed for the toddler's older brother.
Read Safety ArticleMedicines are a leading cause of accidental poisonings in young children. When we think about this, older babies and toddlers who can scoot, crawl, walk, and/or climb come to mind. Older babies and toddlers are curious and explore their world by “mouthing” the items they find. If they see something that looks interesting, they often reach for it or climb to it. Therefore, it is important to keep medicines and other potentially toxic products up and away and out of the sight and reach of children.
Read Safety ArticleThe Poison Prevention Act was passed in 1970 to help reduce the number of accidental childhood poisonings. The Act required manufacturers of medicines and household products to develop a package that would make it more difficult for a child, age 5 and younger, to open. Since then, many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines are sold with a child-resistant cap. However, these caps do not fully prevent a child from opening the medicine – they are NOT childproof. Tragic cases of young children dying or becoming seriously ill after taking medicine from vials or bottles they were able to open occurs even with the use of child-resistant caps. Some examples of recent stories found in the media are listed below.
Read Safety ArticleAnyone who takes care of children knows that they have to make their home safe. Whether it's putting up a gate to keep an adventurous child from falling, or covering electrical outlets to keep a curious child away from danger, a safe home is job one. The risk of child poisonings with medicines in the home, however, may not be considered and addressed. 1
Read Safety ArticleHave you ever thought about where medicines are kept in your home through the eyes of your child? Medicines left on counters, nightstands, in purses and bags, or on the ground are easily within reach of a young child. What's more, many medicines are brightly colored and look like candy, making them appetizing to children.
Read Safety ArticleOn October 14, 2011, The New York Times published a story about a 13- month-old boy who died after swallowing pills from a prescription medicine bottle. His parents had given him the bottle to play with as a rattle, believing he could not open the child-resistant cap.
Read Safety ArticleMost people recognize that accidental poisonings in children are a daily occurrence in the US. But you may be surprised to learn one common source of these poisonings: grandparents’ medications! A scientific study conducted at the Long Island Poison Center1 found that about two of every 10 medicine poisonings in children involved grandparents’ medications. Most of these poisonings, caused by what the study participants called the “Granny Syndrome,” involved grandparents’ medicines that had been left on a table or countertop, on low shelves, or in grandmothers’ purses.
Read Safety ArticleOut of the corner of your eye, you catch your toddler drinking from his older brother's bottle of liquid medicine. You quickly call the Poison Help (1-800-222-1222). But when they ask you how much your child took, you frantically realize that you don't really know.
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