Children are the most precious beings in the world, and deserve to be well protected by their parents and guardians. Can you imagine the horror and anguish you would feel, if you accidentally overdosed your child? How would you feel if your baby swallowed tablets you had carelessly left within his reach? You can make sure these scenarios never occur, by being extremely careful with medications in your home. Here are a few tips to keep your children safe from accidental poisoning by medications.
Always store all medications up high and well out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet. Don’t think that it is alright to leave medicines down low even if they have childproof safety caps. Some children can actually open these.
Keep all medicines in their original bottles and packaging, so you can easily identify them. Do not put medicine in a bottle which originally contained some kind of food product, as a small child could ingest some by mistaking it for food.
Make sure you always give the dose stipulated on the bottle, according to the age and weight of the child. More medicine is not better, and will only harm the child, not cure the problem more quickly.
Use an accurate measuring tool. If a dropper or measuring tool was included in the medicine package, always use this, and never an ordinary kitchen spoon.
Even if you have previously given a particular medicine to your child many times before, always double check the dosage. This is particularly important if your child needs medication during the night, when you may feel drowsy, or you may be in a dark room and cannot see the directions clearly.
It is a good idea to store natural medical products you may think are harmless, up high too. Even vitamin tablets and herbal supplements could harm a child’s health if an overdose was taken.
Be careful not to mix different types of medicine, by dosing with different ones in too short a time span. This even applies to natural remedies.
Also, do not medicate your child for too long. Most over the counter medicines are only meant for temporary relief. After about 24 hours, if your child’s condition has not improved, consider a visit to your doctor.
Periodically sort through your medical supplies, and get rid of expired ones. Do not flush them down the toilet or put them in the garbage. Use a medicine take-back program if there is one available in your area. If not, you can mix it with something inedible, such as kitty litter or dirt, place in a sealed plastic bag, and put into your garbage.
Never give a child a prescription medicine which is intended for another person. Only give children prescription medicines which were prescribed for them personally.
Make sure that all visitors to your home put their medicines out of reach of your children. Sometimes elderly visitors are not in the habit of keeping harmful things where children can’t find them.
If you have children under 5 years old, it is imperative that you take note of these tips. Then you will know your children will be safe, and you will never have to deal with an accidental poisoning.
