Preventing Poisoning
Every year, tens of thousands of calls are made to the Israel Poison Information Center, half of them about children under the age of 18.
An additional fact that may be surprising but is worth noting is that most poisoning cases occur at home when the child is not adequately supervised. This is due to, among other things, the fact that infants are naturally curious and tend to put various objects in their mouths. Crawling infants, along with others, reach for various places to open drawers or doors, when occasionally behind them there are vital items like medicines, detergents, or pesticides, which may be toxic and dangerous and potentially lead to hospitalization or death.
You can involve children in cleaning and tidying the house, but with close supervision and without using hazardous materials such as degreasers, toilet cleaners, and bleach.
Storage of hazardous substances
Store at a safe location
- Store detergents, pesticides, and medicines in a high and locked place to prevent children from reaching them.
- Ensure that the cabinet containing hazardous substances is closed after each time it is opened.
- After use, return items to their designated locations and, if possible, lock the cabinet.
Use the original packages and keep separate from food
- Numerous poisonings have occurred due to the storage of toxic substances in old drink bottles or unmarked containers. Therefore, store each item in its original package only.
- Some poisonings occur because pesticides are stored next to food. Therefore, it is crucial to separate the items and store them away from each other.
Medicines
Misuse of medicines is the reason for 70% of poisoning incidents among children. Almost all medicines are toxic when taken in excess, even when over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal medicines.
Responsible medicine use
To prevent mistakes in administering medicines to children, it is essential to adhere to the following rules:
Avoid distractions
Avoid distractions (mobile phone, computer, etc.) and do not leave children on their own when medicines are within their reach.
Read the instructions
When using medicines, carefully read and closely follow the instructions for use.
Consult a physician
If you are unsure or have any questions about the use of any drug, especially about dosage or schedule of administration, stop taking it, or, alternatively, consult your physician or pharmacist.
In cases of suspected poisoning, follow these steps
Call the Israel Poison Information Center at 04-7771900.
Call 101 immediately. They will guide you what actions to take.
- Preserve the original packaging or the remaining substance that the child has consumed so that the medical staff can determine the appropriate treatment.
- Unless the Israel Poison Information Center instructs you otherwise, do not encourage vomiting and do not give the child any food or liquid.