POISON PATROL
As children move into the adolescent years, parents must be aware of products that can be intentionally misused and abused, like cough medicines with dextromethorphan, and inhalants like the vapors from spray paint, hair spray, cleaning fluids, lighter fluids, and even compressed air. Inhalant abuse has been documented to begin as early as fourth grade and peaks in eighth grade. In Utah, inhalants are the fourth leading substance abused by teens after nicotine, alcohol and marijuana.
Constant Supervision Is Key The most common place for a poisoning to happen is in the home, and the most likely victim is a child less than 6 years of age. In 2004, more than 26,000 Utah children under age 6 came in contact with some type of poison at home. The substances children get into vary. Cosmetics and personal care items like toothpaste, perfume, aftershave lotion and deodorant top the list. Pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil®) and acetaminophen (Tylenol®) are the second most common poisons. And cleaners like laundry detergent and bleach, drugs like over-the-counter cold and cough medicines, prescriptions medicines, plants and pesticides are dangers, too.
To prevent unintentional poisonings: • Store all drugs and chemicals in their original containers, and out of reach of children, preferably locked up. • Since most poisonings occur while the product is being used (e.g., the parent has the vitamin bottle out to give the daily dose and the child sneaks the entire bottle away), keep your eye on anything that’s a potential poison and put it away when you’re finished. • Use child-resistant packaging • Never put chemicals in food containers • Never call medicine candy • Children learn by imitation. Take your medicines where children can’t watch. • Keep the number of the Poison Control Center near every phone.
Nearly 80% of calls to Utah’s Poison Control Center are handled right over the phone, and the victim never has to get medical attention, which suggests that most unintentional poisonings have only mild, if any, effect. Once the scare is over, center staff even call families back to follow-up on how the victim is doing. In addition to keeping the above items locked away from children, poison control specialists have noted some of the most dangerous prescription drugs for children. The January, 2004 issue of Pediatric Drugs calls the following “deadly in dose” for children: narcotics, certain blood pressure and heart rhythm medications, some antidepressants, oral diabetic medications, iron supplements, anti-freeze and windshield washing fluid.
The Utah Poison Control Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The specialists at the UPCC are always just a phone call away. If you think someone in your family has been poisoned, or need prevention tips, call 1-800-222-1222. Calls are free and confidential.
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The Safe Kids Utah Coalition thanks Anchor Printing, Zellerbach Paper, the Utah Highway Safety Office, Utah Department of Health -Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance Project, State Farm Insurance Company and Primary Children’s Medical Center for their generous contributions which allowed us to produce this newsletter.
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SENTINEL
Fall 2005
P r e v e n t i n g
KEEP BABY SAFE IN A REAR-FACING CAR SEAT While it’s tempting to have your baby facing forward in her car seat, child safety experts say infants should ALWAYS face the rear of your vehicle.
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Tour for Safety with Dr. Tom Dear Parents, Grandparents, and Other Caretakers of Kids: nintentional injury is still the most common cause of death among children ages 1-14 in Utah. Science and doctors can only do so much to keep an injured child from dying or being permanently disabled. THE KEY IS PREVENTION. Caretakers must be knowledgeable, competent, and undistracted to provide a safe environment for a growing and exploring child.
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That’s because babies have weak back and neck muscles that need extra support when riding in a car. A rearfacing infant seat will support your baby’s head and neck in a sudden stop or crash. The American Academy of Pediatrics says all infants should ride rear-facing until they have reached the minimum of at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. The AAP also recommends keeping a child rearfacing to the maximum weight on the car seat–that means up to 30 or 35 lbs. in a convertible seat. Convertible seats are made for rear-facing and forwardfacing and are a good choice to keep your child safe and rear-facing longer. It’s also important to put all infant seats in the back passenger seat of the car and never in front of an air bag For more information visit, NHTSA at: www.nhtsa.gov or Safe KidsWorld Wide at www.safekids.org. Or call your local health department.
inside... Tour for Safety (Cont.) . . . . . . . . 2 Stay Safe During Holidays . . . . . 3 Fear of Falling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Please take a tour of your child’s living area with this Newsletter in hand to see if you can find some things to improve. Let’s start outside, with the car: •
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From birth to 40 lbs, your child should be in a child safety seat. Children who weigh 40-80 pounds and are less than 4’ 9” tall should ride in a booster seat. Be sure the child safety seat is installed correctly. You’ll need to read the user’s manual carefully, then put the manual away in case you need to refer to it later. Register your car seat with the manufacturer, so if a recall is made, you’re aware and can respond. If you need help, call 801-588-CARS to get your seat checked by a certified professional.
If you have a swimming pool or hot tub in your yard, be sure it’s surrounded by four-sided fencing with a childproof, selflatching gate. Without these, a child can easily access the pool and drown in a matter of minutes. Each year in Utah an average of 12 children die in pools, bathtubs, lakes, rivers and canals – making drowning the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-9. • The great outdoors – whether you’re in the mountains, the heart of downtown or in a public park, there is no substitute for parental/adult supervision. A whistle or even a Global Positioning System will work only part of the time.
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Continued on page 2
SAFE KIDS Contacts . . . . . . . . 4
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Tour for Safety with Dr. Tom Continued from page 1
Only you can prevent a lost child.
• Choking is a problem for children up to 4 years of age. Small objects like hot dogs, grapes, hard candy, buttons, coins, raisins, balloons and small toy parts can be deadly for an infant or toddler. Even peanut butter can be dangerous. If you’re not sure whether an object presents a choking hazard, do this test. Get the cardboard insert from a roll of bathroom tissue. If the object fits inside, it could choke a child.
• Tour your yard. If you have playground equipment, be sure the surface underneath is woodchips, pea gravel, fine sand, rubber mats, or mulch to protect kids from falls. Be sure play equipment is in good repair, and trees are trimmed for safety. • Children should have appropriate adult supervision for sports play. When you say, “Go outside and play,” be sure you know where and what your child is playing, and at least keep an eye on him or her from inside, to prevent injuries.
Now, let’s go inside:
Still with me? Let’s check out the bathroom:
Do you know how to get your children and yourself out of the home QUICKLY, in the dark, in case of a fire? Talk about and practice an escape plan: Know who’s going to get which children out, and where you’ll meet once outside. While you’re at it, test your smoke alarm every month – you do have one or two installed, right? And keep a home fire extinguisher on hand near the kitchen, where most house fires start.
Set your water heater at the lowest possible temperature you can live with and no higher than 120 degrees F. What if your toddler climbs into the tub and turns on one faucet, the Hot one. Could it scald your child? • Never leave your toddler in the bathtub, even with an older brother or sister. Children can drown in one inch of water without making a sound.
• Lock all cleaning supplies, pet supplies, alcoholic beverages, medicines and vitamins out of a child’s reach to prevent poisoning. Use child locks on all cabinets your kid can climb to. Have the toll-free Poison Control Center number next to your phone. It’s 1-800-222-1222.
• Never leave a bucket of water where your toddler can fall in; again a quiet, but sure death.
Now to the bedrooms and living areas: • Check your dressers and other furniture: Could your toddler pull open and climb up on a bottom drawer and make it tip over on him? Secure all dressers, TV stands and bookcases to the wall.
• Burns – Never carry hot liquids and your baby at the same time. Keep children away from the kitchen while cooking. Don’t use tablecloths when children are young. They’re very good at pulling them off tables, along with any hot foods or heavy items that are on the table.
• Finally, gun safety. For toddlers? Definitely, yes. Three-year-olds can find a hidden gun. Be sure you have a gunlock on the weapon. Keep the gun locked up, and store the ammunition separately, locked up.
• Falls are another leading cause of injury and death, and thousands of Utah children are treated for fall injuries every year. Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs if you have crawlers or toddlers. If you have a baby walker with wheels, get rid of it and replace it with a stationary activity center. Cover sharp edges of furniture or the fireplace with foam or rubber padding.
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Thanks for taking this safety tour of your home, and watch for our next issue of The Sentinel for more safety tips. Tom Metcalf, MD American Academy of Pediatrics, Utah Chapter
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Stay Safe During The Holidays
FEAR OF FA LL Stop Worrying,
n an average year in Utah, 1 child age14 or younger will die, 14 will be hospitalized, and 150 will need emergency room treatment for exposure to smoke, fire and flames. Winter is an especially dangerous time, as space heaters, fireplaces and candles are used more often. Most fire fatalities happen while people are sleeping. One of the most important steps you can take to protect your family is to install smoke alarms and keep them in good working condition. ▲ Alarms should be installed in every bedroom or any area where someone sleeps. Be sure there is at least one alarm on every level of your home or at each end of a mobile home. ▲ Place smoke alarms away from the kitchen and bathroom. False alarms can occur while cooking or even showering. ▲ Test smoke alarms every month. ▲ Change the batteries in the Spring and Fall when you change your clocks. ▲ Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. ▲ Never paint a smoke alarm. ▲ Dust or vacuum smoke alarms monthly. ▲ Smoke alarms with a flashing light and an alarm should be used in homes with deaf or hard-of-hearing children or adults. Once smoke alarms are installed and working, check the rest of the home: ▲ Keep lighters and matches out of kids reach. ▲ Burn candles carefully. ▲ Make an escape plan. Every member of the family should know at least two exits from each room. ▲ Use a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home. ▲ Inspect and replace any electrical cords that are worn, frayed, or damaged. ▲ Never overload outlets. ▲ Don’t run electrical cords under carpet or furniture. They can overheat and start a fire. ▲ Don’t use kerosene or electric space heaters. If they must be used, keep them away from clothing, bedding and curtains, and unplug them at night. Make sure your home is wellventilated when using a kerosene heater to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Start Working Toward Fall Prevention
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arents know how fast their little ones can move. Turn your back for just a moment and a child can disappear: into the tree in the backyard, down the stairs, or up on top of a dresser.
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Falls are the number one cause of nonfatal injury for kids age 14 and under. In an average year in Utah, 2 children 14 and younger will die, 285 will be hospitalized, and 19,300 will visit the emergency department because of a fall. The good news is you can prevent most falls. INFANTS Most infant falls involve furniture, stairs, and baby walkers. Growing babies are naturally curious, so never leave them alone on changing tables, beds, or other furniture. The same goes for stairs. The best way to prevent falls down stairs is to install gates at the top and bottom. Don’t use accordion-style baby gates, as a child can get trapped in them and suffocate. Also, stationary activity centers are safer than baby walkers. But if you do have to use a walker, buy one that was made after June 30, 1997. Those styles have wider bases and/or rubber stops to prevent falls down stairs. Another serious cause of falls for toddlers is windows. Don’t allow children to play unattended on balconies, porches, fire escapes, or near windows. Window guards are a great way to prevent falls, and you should also move furniture – including beds — away from windows. Parents and caregivers should also ensure that children can’t hurt themselves on furniture in other ways, like climbing on a bookshelf, or being able to climb out of their crib. As children graduate from the crib, be sure there are side rails on their beds. If you have bunk beds, never let kids under age 6 sleep or play on the top bunk. TODDLERS and YOUNG CHILDREN As children get older the biggest risk of fall-related injury is the playground. If you have play equipment in your yard, the best protection is to put soft surfacing, like wood chips, pea gravel, shredded rubber, mulch or fine sand below all equipment. Make sure it’s 12 inches deep and extends 6 feet around the perimeter. And check to make sure your neighborhood or school playground has soft surfacing. Asphalt, concrete, grass, and soil will not cushion a fall. More fall prevention tips: • Install grab bars and/or non-skid mats in the shower or tub • Don’t leave young children alone to bathe. • Don’t let kids play or ride in the bed of a pickup truck. • Do not place infant carriers on the roof or hood of any vehicle. You could forget and drive off. • Use the safety straps on high chairs, baby swings, and shopping carts. Constant supervision is also recommended. • Insist your children wear a helmet and elbow/knee pads when rollerblading or riding bikes, scooters or skateboards. And remember, if you’re going to make sure your children wear helmets, don’t forget to wear one, too.
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