Children under 5 Years of Age, the Riskiest Age Group in Poisoning

Head of poisoning department of Emam Reza Hospital of Mashhad said: “children under 5 years of age are regarded as the riskiest age group who are subject to poisoning and parents’ monitoring and attention is a key to prevent from poisoning”.

According to WebDa, pointing that a child may take everything to their mouth that might cause poisoning, Dr. Bita Dadpour said: “drugs should be kept out of reach of children and should never be given to them as sweets; they should also be informed that drugs should be taken only when they are ill and under supervision of the physician”.

Mentioning that using methadone instead of a drink is a very dangerous poisoning and may even lead to death, faculty member of department of clinical toxicology of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences said: “parents should be aware that if they use methadone (to quit addiction) they should never keep its container beside other drinks in the refrigerator and it must be kept out of reach of children”.

Dr. Dadpour advised parents not to take their drugs before children’s eyes, because they imitate adults’ behavior and might take drugs to their mouths while parents are not present.

Pointing that main children poisoning cases occurred as a result of having drugs, chemical materials and home products such as cosmetics, detergent and bleaching materials and poisonous houseplants, head of department of clinical toxicology and the poisoned of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences said: “in case a child eats a non-edible material, their parents should call 115 or the poison control center (190)”.

Emphasizing that houseplants should be kept out of reach of children and care should be taken so that children are not poisoned while playing near poisonous houseplants, faculty member of  Mashhad University of Medical Sciences said: “many houseplants such as oleander and Dieffenbachia are poisonous and contact with them or taking them to the mouth causes poisoning and mucus burn”.

Noting that parents should avoid having their children take frequent doses of drugs, especially acetaminophen when they are ill, Dr. Dadpour said: “using acetaminophen more than the recommended dosage may lead to hepatic failure in children; in the first 24 hours, taking this drug has no complications but after this period, increased liver enzymes can cause hepatic failure or even death in children”.