I was a Mom before I was a Poison Educator: This is My Story

While I was working on my bachelor’s degree, I was a stay-at-home mom of three boys and one girl. The creative curiosities that make great stories, such as Dennis The Menace, are exactly the kind of curiosity that engages my two middle boys to explore the world in a way I never would have imagined. They are 16 months apart and are similar in behavior to that of twins. I like to call them “Double Trouble” or “Bash Brothers,” depending on what the situation warrants. If they are best friends and exploring together, then they are Double Trouble; however, if they are worst enemies, then they are Bash Brothers.

As they have grown, we have experienced all kinds of terrifying events:

·         Climbing out of their bedroom window, while I was asleep in my bed, and running up and down a busy street

·         Removing the outlet cover to stick a pipe cleaner in that ended up blowing the outlet

·         Evacuating an entire school for hours because they pulled a fire alarm

·         Making messes that are and should remain an element of nightmares

Honestly, I could go on and on with a list of things they did to explore the world around them. Let’s face it, kids are curious and boys are insane; even if they are adorably cute! However, one thing I never worried about with them was poisons. I did not know the number to the poison center, but buried deep in the back of my mind somewhere I knew one existed.

When both of my boys were in school, I had a challenge of getting them in bed at a decent hour. I would turn off the light and leave their room, but they would continue to talk for hours. Finally, another mom mentioned giving my boys Melatonin to help them go to sleep. After checking with my boy’s doctor, I began giving them Melatonin as well. It was not very expensive, came in flavored tablets that they could dissolve in their mouth and it worked wonderfully!

One Friday evening, my husband and I went on a long-over-due date. We had just finished up with dinner when my mom calls (she was watching the kids) in a panic because one of my boys had eaten 9 or 10 Melatonin. My first reaction as a mom is, “what do I do?” It is amazing what happens when you are in “save my kid” mode. I pulled the existence of the poison center into the front of my mind, but I had no idea where to find the number. This was before we could just look anything up on our phones, so I turned to what we did have available–the phone book.

The specialist at the poison center was amazing. She provided peace of mind that my son would be OK, a little sleepy, but OK. They also offered to call back and check on him.

A couple of years after this terrifying experience, I was hired at a poison center as a community educator. My main mission is to make sure people know about the services the poison center offers and how to reach them. One of the things that affect me the most is the look on a person’s face when they tell me they have had to call the poison center for their child. No matter what we do as parents, sometimes our kids just get into things. The specialists at the poison center have heard stories that only a highly creative mind of a child could possibly dream up! Your kid is not the only one that has gotten into potentially dangerous things, and he will not be the last!

Now that I know that the specialists are trained medical professionals, I utilize them quite often. Calling 1-800-222-1222 provides fast and professional help for emergencies, information for questions and resources for prevention.

Written by Jennifer Watson, Poison Education & Outreach Manager with the Central Texas Poison Center located at Baylor Scott & White Health.

Hand Sanitizers: How Toxic Are They?

Hand sanitizers are very commonly used these days in schools, workplaces, homes, hospitals and other public places such as stores and libraries. In the past, studies have shown that the use of hand sanitizers reduces illnesses in house­holds and universities, and lowers absentee rates in schools. While hand sanitizers have contributed to cleanliness, it is still important to be careful when choosing to use them.

 

Most hand sanitizers contain ethanol, while some contain isopropyl alcohol. The concentration of alcohol in these products varies from 45% to 95%, with the most commonly used products in the range of 60-65%. In­gestions of toxic amounts of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol produce central nervous system depression ranging from inebriation to coma, vomiting, respiratory depression, hypothermia, hypotension, and hypoglycemia (with ethanol; in infants and children) or hyperglycemia (with isopropyl alcohol) may also occur.

Emails and news stories have surfaced recently alleging that children have developed toxic effects from in­gesting small amounts of hand sanitizers off of their hands. These accounts have resulted in questions to poi­son centers about whether they should be used in schools and other locations where children, and in some cases adults, frequent. While these products can be harmful if children ingest them in large quantities, they are safe when used in the correct amount and for the reason they were made. Most children remain asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms such as oral irritation and gastric upset.

How much hand sanitizer would be dangerous?

 

A hand sanitizer pump dispenses approximately 2.5 mL of liquid. If one pump of a 62% ethanol-containing hand sanitizer was ingested by an average two-year-old weigh­ing 15kg, a blood alcohol level of 17.3 mg/dL would be expected, considerably below a toxic level of 80-100 mg/dL. This same child would have to drink approximately 4-5 teaspoonfuls of the sanitizer in order to produce toxic effects that would require medical attention.

If you have any concerns regarding hand sanitizers, please call the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your calls. These specialists answer poison-related questions about medications, household products and other potentially dangerous substances and can provide poison education materials like brochures and stickers.  Poison information is also available at the Texas Poison Center Network website, www.poisoncontrol.org

 

Teething Tablet Dangers

When a baby cries out in pain from teething, it is only natural to want to soothe your baby and ease this painful process. While it is normal to want to soothe your baby’s pain, it is important to use safe products to do so. It has recently come to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) attention that homeopathic teething tablets and gels are not the choice to make when looking to soothe your little one. If you have them in your home, the FDA is asking that you stop using them immediately and dispose of them properly.

Homeopathy is a natural form of medicine used by over 200 million people worldwide to treat both acute and chronic conditions. It is based on the principle of 'like cures like'. In other words, a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes if it were taken in large amounts.

The teething tablets and gels are used on infants and toddlers and are said to help kids deal with the often painful process of teething. You can easily find them at any CVS, Hyland’s or Walgreen’s. But what makes these teething tablets so dangerous? Despite being able to find them almost anywhere, like many homeopathic items, the products haven’t been assessed or approved by the FDA. Health officials cannot confirm that they are safe or effective.

Consumers should seek medical care immediately if their child experiences seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating, or agitation.

In 2010, the FDA warned parents not to use homeopathic teething tablets and gels after receiving reports of babies having experienced negative side effects – such as seizures – from these products. The FDA is currently testing product samples and did release a safety alert that said “Hyland’s Teething Tablets contained inconsistent amounts of belladonna, a substance that can cause serious harm at larger doses.”

Teething problems can be managed in other ways including small doses of Tylenol or Advil. To find out what is best for your baby, it is important to talk with your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing and giving your baby any medications, homeopathic or not. It is also extremely important to always verify the correct dosage of medication to give your baby. Medication overuse in babies can lead to dangerous consequences. If you have any questions concerning teething tablets or dosage amounts, please do not hesitate to contact the Texas Poison Center Network for more information 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222.