The CDC released a report yesterday stating that children under four are more likely to be hospitalized for unintentionally swallowing medications than for other causes of unintentional injury. Almost three-fourths of the children studied for the report were between one and two years old. Seventy-five percent of the incidents occurred in the home, and about 40 percent involved common over-the-counter drugs, with the rest mostly from prescription medications.
The CDC offers several prevention recommendations:
- Store all medications in secured cabinets and out of reach of children. When possible, keep the medicines in their original containers. If medicines are transferred to other containers, be extra vigilant to ensure children do not have access to them. If you store medicines in your purse or a pill box, make sure that children do not have access.
- Discard all unused medicines by flushing down the toilet.
- Avoid taking medicines in front of children, because they tend to imitate adults. Do not call any medicine "candy."
- Make sure your visitors do not leave their medicines where children can easily find them.
- Post the poison control number 1-800-222-1222 on or near every phone at home. Put it in your speed dial on your mobile phone.