Lynn Woods

More Kids Poisoned by Over the Counter Drugs than by Household Chemicals

Almost 80 percent of all poison control center calls involve children, most of them under the age of five.  Most childhood poisonings involve overdoses of common over the counter drugs like pain killers, and could have been avoided with simple precautions.

Two thirds of pediatric poisonings that result in emergency room visits are from overdoses of medications – double the rate of poisonings from that of toxic household products like cleaners, chemicals and pesticides. Common over the counter drugs like pain relievers are one of the leading causes of poisoning in children, followed by cough and cold remedies, vitamins, antihistamines, ointments and creams, and products for gastrointestinal upsets. Together, these products account for about 30% of poisonings in children aged five and younger.

Part of the problem is that people tend to think of over the counter medications as harmless. "They figure if they didn't need a prescription or got it from a pharmacist it must be safe," explains pharmacist Jay Schauben, Director of the Florida Poison Information Centre, "They are more apt to leave it out, or have a lot more leeway leaving it on the counter."  Though they may be more cautious with prescription drugs, many poisonings take place when household members are distracted by a change in household routine such as holidays, moving, or a special occasion, and forget to store their prescription medications safely out of reach.

Young children are anxious to explore the world with all of their senses, and tend to put things in their mouths.  Children can easily mistake over the counter medicine or prescription medications for candy, or liquid medications for juice or a soft drink. They also mimic adult behaviors, so experts advise against taking your medications in front of them. They also suggest stressing the difference between medicine and candy, and advise against telling a child that medicine is "candy" in order to get them to take it. Although health professionals report a decline in accidental poisoning since the advent of child resistant caps, they caution that they can also lead to a false sense of complacency. "I will tell you very emphatically right now there is no such thing as a childproof container," warns Schauben, "Given enough time, a child will assuredly figure out how to defeat a childproof cap."

Schauben advises keeping all over the counter medications and prescription drugs in a locked cabinet out of the reach of kids.  He cautions that a bathroom medicine cabinet is "absolutely the worst place" to store medications regardless of whether there are children around, because of the heat and moisture present in the average bathroom. He suggests parents use extra caution when you have house guests.  "If Aunt Sally comes to visit and brings her medication to your home, is she going to line them up on her cabinet and make them available to your children?"  And of course be alert for over the counter medicine or prescription drugs left where a child could reach them when you are visiting someone else's home.

If a child accidentally swallows over the counter medicine or prescription drugs, call your local PoisonControlCenter or the Poison Help Hotline (800-222-1222) before calling 911 - unless the child is unresponsive, having trouble breathing, or experiencing seizures or convulsions. Have the medication bottle handy so that you can describe what they took, and be prepared to tell the Poison Control staff his or her height and weight, and how much they took. Most of the time, you will be able to treat the child at home.  The death rate from childhood poisonings is happily quite low, with just 26 deaths in children five and under in 2008 in the US, despite over one million poisonings.

Article Tags: Counter Drugs, Counter Medicine

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