Keep button batteries out of reach of children. Secure the battery compartment on remote controls, key fobs, cameras, watches, flameless candles, and every battery-powered product. Batteries lodged in the esophagus can burn a hole in just 2 hours, causing death or damage that will require extensive surgical repair and long term use of feeding and breathing tubes.
Use child-resistant packaging, especially if young children are ever around. Replace caps securely. Of children treated in an ER for medicine poisoning, 38% got into a grandparent’s medicine. More grandparents identified electrical outlets than medicine as a top safety issue, but 36 times more children go to the ER for medicine poisoning!
Decorate with nonpoisonous plants and place poisonous plants well out of children’s reach. Avoid holly and mistletoe berries.
Have children or grandchildren? Check out the poison prevention tips for the relevant ages.
Assign someone to keep an eye on each child during parties, dinners, and get-togethers.
Keep the alcoholic drinks away from children! Alcohol causes a child’s blood sugar to drop, leading to seizures, coma and even death. Clean up drinks and cigarette butts right after the party; don’t leave them for the kids to find the next morning.
Mind the medicines when you travel or have visitors in your home. Provide visitors with a safe place to put their medicines, purses, and suitcases.
Sets of tiny, strong magnets are sold as stress or fidget toys intended for adults but often are swallowed by children, resulting in serious injury and even death. The magnets, or a magnet and another metal object, can stick to each other, even through folds of gastrointestinal tissue. This pinches off blood supply to the area, causing tissue death, bleeding, and infection.
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There are two main types of artificial snow: powders that are mixed with water and spray-on aerosols. In most small exposures, neither product type is likely to cause severe problems, but swallowing the powder or spraying the aerosol directly onto the skin or into the eyes can cause symptoms.
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There are special poisoning concerns during the winter: family travel, family gatherings, carbon monoxide poisoning, and winter chemicals for the car.
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The poinsettia plant is often considered deadly. That's wrong. Poinsettia can be irritating but it is not fatal if eaten. If children and pets eat it, they can develop mouth irritation and stomach upset. The sap can cause a skin rash, too.
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A number of holiday decorations and treats can be hazards to a pet's health. Batteries can cause internal burns, water from tree stands and left-over food can contain bacteria, and decorations and plants can be choking hazards. Also, human medicines may be more easily in reach.
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Until recent studies were published, the American mistletoe genus, Phoradendron, was widely considered to be extremely poisonous. Swallowing American mistletoe can cause symptoms such as gastrointestinal upset but is not likely to cause serious poisoning if small amounts are unintentionally swallowed.
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Lamp oil can provide warm, glowing light. If swallowed, however, lamp oil can cause serious injury that might not be apparent right away.
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The leaves of the holly (Ilex spp) are dark green and stiff with sharp spines. The root is large and grows straight down. The leaf spine can lacerate the mouth, throat, and skin. Holly contains poisonous substances that cause abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea and sometimes dehydration when ingested. Mild symptoms require no specific treatment other than remaining hydrated.
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The berries of the holly plant are poisonous to people and pets. Swallowing them can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
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Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house - or maybe on a cruise - or perhaps to a hotel in a new city or a foreign country? Wherever your destination for the holidays, by automobile, plane, ship, or sleigh, a little planning will help keep holiday travel safe and enjoyable.
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