Please visit www.cdc.gov/safechild for podcasts, tip sheets, and other information on the 

leading causes of child injury and steps you can take to protect the children you love.

Protect the ones you love

POISONINGS

The Reality

We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live 

to their full potential. Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child 

injury, like poisoning, is a step toward this goal.

Every day, 374 children in the United States ages 0 to 19 are treated in an emergency 

department, and two children die, as a result of being poisoned. 

It’s not just chemicals in your home marked with clear warning labels that can be dangerous 

to children. Everyday items in your home, such as household cleaners and medicines, can be 

poisonous to children as well. Active, curious children will often investigate—and sometimes 

try to eat or drink—anything that’s left out and within their reach. 

Thankfully, there are ways you can help poison-proof your home and protect the children 

you love.

Child injuries are preventable

Prevention Tips

Lock them up. Keep medicines and toxic products, such cleaning solutions, in locked or 

childproof cabinets.

Know the number. Put the nationwide poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-

1222, on or near every telephone in your home. You should also program it into your 

cellular phone. You can reach poison control centers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Call poison control if you think a child has been poisoned and if they are awake and alert. 

Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and your child has collapsed or is not breathing.

Read the label. Follow label directions and read all warnings when giving medicines to 

children. 

Don’t keep it if you don’t need it. Safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired 

prescription drugs. Be aware that if you dispose of unused medicines, they can be mixed 

with coffee grounds or kitty litter to make them less appealing to children.
The Burden of Child Injury, 

Unintentional Injury Deaths

Ages 1–19, United States, 2000–2005

Non-Injury

57,373

(38%)

Intentional Injury

27,222

(18%)

Unintentional Injury

67,169

(44%)

•	 Across	the	United	States,	

injuries are the leading cause of 

death among children ages 19 

and younger.

•	 About	33	children	die	every	

day because of injuries.

•	 Each	year,	nearly	9.2	million	

children aged 0 to 19 years are 

seen in emergency departments 

for injuries, and 12,175 

children die as a result of being 

injured.

CS122252

In addition to doing all you can to protect a child from being poisoned, 

follow these steps to prevent other leading causes of injuries:

Burns —Fire and scalding water can pose threats to children. 

To help keep kids safer from burns caused by fire, install and 

maintain smoke alarms in your home. 

Drownings —Drownings can happen quickly and quietly, but installing four-sided 

fences, with self-closing and self-latching gates, around backyard swimming pools can 

make a life-saving difference by keeping kids away from the water when you’re not 

there to supervise.

Falls —Falls can happen at the playground or at home. To protect your child, check 

playground equipment to make sure it’s properly designed and maintained and that 

there’s a safe, soft landing surface below. 

Road traffic injuries —To make injuries less likely when you’re on the road with 

kids, always use seat belts, child safety seats, and booster seats that are appropriate 

for your child’s age and weight.

www.cdc.gov/safechild