Back in the good old days (that would be the 1950s in this case) parents only had 1.2 million chemical combinations to keep their children from getting into. Moms and dads today have to watch out for some 40 million known combinations. Fortunately they still have Mr. Yuk to help them out. And now, thanks to a new national toll-free number, parents can get through to someone during an emergency even if their local poison control center isn’t operating.
March is National Poison Prevention Month, so the timing couldn’t be better to combine the message of being mindful of possible poisons lurking in cupboards, shelves drawers along with posting the new number by every telephone in your home.
Unfortunately, a tragedy in our own area serves as another reminder that a child’s innocent curiosity or misunderstanding can have fatal results. A 19-month-old Everett boy died last week after ingesting a substance from a container he found in the kitchen. Although it wasn’t clear last week what he had consumed, it was enough to cause burns on his chest and in his mouth.
It might seem amazing to grown ups what children will get into. But, considering the things we adults get into when we should know better, we really shouldn’t be too surprised by small children not understanding the dangers around them. As the National Capital Poison Center’s Web site notes, don’t think a child won’t eat something just because it would taste bad to you. "Children are notorious for eating things that may be distasteful to an adult," the site explains. And "never assume a child could not have taken a medication because it is too big for them to swallow. It happens," the center’s Web site says. If you have small children in your home or visiting your home, take advantage of the Mr. Yuk stickers and slap them on every container that could harm a child. Make sure your children understand that the sticker means they need to stay away from that product or container.
Of course, all the preventative measures in the world won’t guarantee your little one will stay away from poisons. So keep the new national number, 800-222-1222, handy — just in case. And don’t assume that because it’s an easy number you don’t need to write it down and stick it in plain view. Panicked people sometimes have difficulty remembering their own phone numbers and addresses in an emergency.
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