Milford chronicle., 1959-03-06
Accidental Poisoning
Taking Lives OF Many
Children Every Year

Fifteen hundred children could
die from accidental poisoning this
Der of medicines, insecticides, ro-
denticides, insect repellents,
bleaching solutions, detergents,
cleaning, polishing and disinfect-
ing substances a child is exposed
10, the potential dangers of child
hood poisonings become apparent
To meet this problem, a special
service has been developed in Del
aware entitled, The Delaware Poi
son Information Service.
Infants and children learn by
exploration, questioning, sampling
and trial and error. They are par
ticularly susceptible to the .acci-
dental ingestion of a variety of pO-
tentially harmful substances that
can be found in a great number in
any home Beside the increasing
number of drugs and household
preparations, the increasing child
population is exposed to a great
number of hazards. In the area of
poisoning, it is prevention rather
than therapy that holds the great
est promise of eliminating this
category of accidents.
AS child natures, his growing
curiosity leads hiTl into new situa-
tions every day. The learning pro-
cess, although exciting, is not
without elements of risk The
child's ability to walk and talk
and his natural inquisitiveness
makes him more susceptible to ac-
cident situations. At the same time,
the child begins to learn, with the
parents help. to avoid what may
be harmful. In addition, most mi-
more accidents serve a useful pur-
pose in teaching the child to be
aware of potentially dangerous
situations. For example, if a child
touches a hot radiator, he learns
quickly that hot" things may hurt.
However, prevention of accidental
poisoning must be taught by edu-
cation rather than experience.
2 The following examples of acci-
dental poisoning cases, as report
ed by the Delaware Poison InfOr-
nation Service, illustrate graphi-
cally the relationship between ac-
feasibility of toxic agents and the
occurrence of poisoning:
While playing in the kitchen
with an older sister, a child OBJ
tanned a bottle of cleaning fluid,
which. was stored on the kitchen
floor under the sink, and swallowed
5 ounces OF its contents.
While mother was busy feeding
the baby, two children under 8
years of age opened mothers purse
and obtained a pill box of medica-
ton. Between them, they swallow
ed 25 tablets.
While the mother was busy poll
ishing furniture with a popular
brand of furniture polish, the child
picked up the bottle and swallowed
4 ounces of its contents"
These examples illustrate that
poisoning is frequently the result
nf exposure to harmful substances
left in unsafe places in the home.
AS children become more mobile,
they climb to higher places such as
medicine cabinets, upper shelves
and other storage areas, and fire.
quently become victims of poison.
ing by drugs intended for internal
use. A basic rule for prevention is
that all potentially harmful sub
stances should be placed in places
completely inaccessible to the in
FAINT or small child. Prevention is
the best therapeutic measure and
the best antidote for poisoning.
Storing harmful substances in
household containers is a contribu-
tory cause of poisoning in far too
many places. Kerosene, benzene,
turpentine, ammonia, furniture
polish, Insecticides were frequent
ly stored in such containers as
drinking glasses, soda bottles,
mayonnaise jars, coffee cans, milk
bottles and fruit jars. In more than
oOT of the cases in which the poi
soning was due to bleaching ag-
ents, solvents, ammonia, and in
secticides; the substances were
rot in their original containers
when the poisoning occurred. Stud
les have indicated that in addition
TO not being in their original con-
tainers, most of the toxic agents
were in open places, such as tables,
shelves, floors, under sinks or en-
window sills. In many cases, the
toxis agent was in a handbag Civ
en- to the child to play with. If
these substances had been kept in
their original cOntainer and placed
in out-of-the-way areas, inacces-
sible to the child, the occurrence of
poisoning would have been elm
mated. According to DR.. Mark Ken
yon of the State Board OF Health,
1.-The best advice for the whole fam
lily is never to put anything which
is not food in any familiar con-
tainer where it could be swallowed
accidentally. Out of sight, out of
mind, out of danger!
Next time YOU make cole slaw. add