WHEN A CHILD SWALLOWS POISON. DOS AND DON’TS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS.

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Swallowing a poisonous substance can happen in children. Especially in children under six years. At this age, most c
hildren are curious and would like to explore. They are however, not matured enough to adequately differentiate between harmful and harmless substances. Children explore their environment using all their senses. They use the sense of taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight in their exploration. In the process, they can accidentally swallow poisonous substances.


Below are a few dos and don’ts for caregivers/parents in the event of poisoning in a child.

DOS
Act quickly.
Get the poison away from the child or move child away from the source of poison.
If there is poison in the mouth and the child can spit, tell him/her to spit it out.
Alternatively, if you can remove it from the mouth with your finger, do so. Do it gently. Be careful you don’t push it further down or cause the child to vomit.
Remove the child’s clothes if the poison got poured on them. Wash off any remaining poison on the skin with water.
Go to the nearest health center for assessment.
You can also reach the national poison control center on 233243646758

DON’TS
Don’t make the child vomit. Inducing vomiting can cause some of the poison to go into the lungs. This can cause injuries in the lungs and airway. Some of the poisons are corrosive. As the child vomits it out , it can cause further damage to the eosophagus and mouth as the poison comes into contact with them again.
Don’t give palm oil. Palm oil does not give any benefit in poisoning. It rather has the tendency to make the child vomit which we don’t want.
Do not make your child drink substances to neutralize the poison. For instance, if your child drinks a substance containing acid, don’t give him an alkali substance to drink to neutralize the poison in the stomach. You will cause further damage.
Don’t put any ointments or concoctions on the skin if there are burns on the skin.
Do not stay at home with the child with the intent of monitoring him/her.

Here are some symptoms to look out for in poisoning.

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, mouth burns or blisters, unusual odor in child’s breath, unusual stains in child’s clothes, sore throat, drooling, difficulty in breathing, drowsiness and irritability.

To read on how to safeguard your home to prevent accidental poisoning in children, visit https://healthykidshome.blogspot.com/2022/12/how-to-protect-your-children-from.html

Dr Gloria Amponsah-Kodua
paediatrician specialist
[email protected]

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