Nothing is more important than your child's safety and medicine bottles are a very real danger to young children. Children like to imitate adults, so if they find a medicine bottle, it is possible they may try to play "grown-up" and swallow some of the medication, with potentially fatal results. Because children have such small bodies compared to adults, even small amounts of many common medications can be fatal to a young child. Obviously it is not always possible to avoid having potentially dangerous medicines in your home. So how can you keep your child safe with medicines in the house?
Explain the Dangers
Starting when they are very young, talk to your children about the danger of taking medication that is not meant for them. Explain to your children that medicines are only to be taken when absolutely necessary, and that they should only take medicine if a trusted adult gives it to them. Make sure they understand that they should never, ever try to take medicine on their own.
Nothing Is Child-Proof
Do not rely on child-proof safety caps to keep your child from getting into your medications. Although many adults have trouble opening child safety caps, many children are clever enough and dexterous enough to open these types of bottles. With young children in the house, it is essential to keep all medicines in their original containers in a locked medicine box, kept out of reach of small hands, or stored in a high, locked cabinet.
Also beware of medications in disguise; some vitamin pills and herbal supplements can be just as dangerous to your child as medicines. It is possible to overdose on vitamin supplements, particularly those containing iron. Make sure to treat all supplements as you would medicines, and keep them locked away from little hands.
Know Where Kids Are Playing
This tip may seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning: Make sure to keep tabs on your child. Know where your little one is and what he is doing at all times. Children can and will get into mischief now and then, but by keeping a close eye on them, you can minimize their opportunities to get into harmful situations.
As an extra precaution, keep the number of your local poison control center by every phone in the house, as well as in your cell phone. In the event your child accidentally ingests something she shouldn't, be sure to have the medication bottle handy, so that you can tell poison control the name of the medicine, the dosage and approximately how much was ingested, so they can help.
Medications in the home can be extremely hazardous to our children, but with a little common sense and some precautions, you can keep your child safe and sound.
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