Poisoning

Page 19

The most common emergency involving children is poisoning. ​

In the United States, about 2 million cases of exposure to poisons are reported each year. Children under five years of age are the most likely to get poisoned. They are curious and will eat and drink almost anything—even if it does not taste good. ​

Although most poisoning occurs in the child’s home, it can also occur in the early childhood program. Poisons can be found in any room of the house or center, and poisonings can happen anywhere. However, most poisonings occur in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom and in the presence of mothers or providers, when products are not in their usual storage area and are in direct reach of young children.  

Poisonings occur from many common items found in a household or in the early childhood environment. Items that can be poisonous to a child include medicines (both prescription and non-prescription such as aspirin, cough and cold preparations, vitamins and iron), household cleaning products (such as furniture polishes, detergents and drain cleaners), substances stored in the garage (such as car and gardening products), mushrooms, plants (such as castor beans, foxglove and oleander), cosmetics, batteries, arts and crafts materials, and lead-containing paint, dust and pottery.   

Poisoning can occur by:

• ingestion (eating or drinking)
• absorption (contact with skin, getting in the eyes)
• inhalation (breathing the fumes)
• injection (puncture wounds)
• animal and insect bites

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
2. Health and Safety​
3. Preventing Injuries
4. ​Safety Regulations (1/11)
5. Hazards (2/11)
6. Risk of Injury
7. Developmental Age (3/11)
8. Safety Policies​
9. Safe or Unsafe (4/11)​
10. Hazard Analysis (5/11)​
11. ​Supervise the Children

12. Staff Ratios (6/11)
13. ​Regular Safety Checks
14. Burns and Fire
15. Burn and Fire Prevention
16. Hot Liquid Burns (7/11)
17. ​Strangulation & Suffocation
18. Falls
19. Poisoning
20. Poisoning can be Prevented
21. ​Drowning
22. ​Emergency Procedures

​23. Emergency Experiences (8/11)
​24. First Aid
25. Minor Injuries (9/11)
26. Disaster Preparedness
27. Emergency Preparedness (10/11)
28. Missing Child
29. Authorized Persons
30. After the Emergency
31. End of Course Quiz (11/11)
32. Evaluation Form
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