http://medicationsafe.com Professional Advice - Keeping Your Child Safe Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:02:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en National Poison Prevention week is March 14-20, 2010. More than 2 million poisonings are reported each year to the 61 Poison Control Centers across the country. The majority of poisonings occur in the home and involve children younger than 6 years old. National Poison Prevention Week was established by Congress in 1961 and ... http://medicationsafe.com/2010/03/04/national-poison-prevention-week-is-march-14-20-2010/ We've recently come across two very useful websites with great information for childproofing and poison proofing your home. We've provided links to their websites. Safe Kids USA for childproofing tips: http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/childproofing-your-home/ Dr. Sandy for poison proofing tips: http://sandyzabanehblog.com/?p=382 Please email us if you come across any other useful websites. As always we appreciate your help, Dr. Ben http://medicationsafe.com/2010/02/28/safe-kids-usa-and-dr-sandy/ Medication safety is something we constantly think about at medicationsafe.com. Dr. Ben has been at the poison control center for 10 years and deals with poisonings in children, teenagers and adults daily. Finally, there is a product that can be used to lock up medications securely. It's called the Rx Locker. We first came across the product ... http://medicationsafe.com/2010/01/08/rx-locker-medication-locked-safety/ Every year during the holidays, Poison Control Centers nationwide field numerous calls concerning ingestion of poinsettias and mistletoe. They just aren't the killers that everyone thinks they are. The American Association of Poison Control Centers urges people to "Treat Poinsettias and Mistletoe with Respect Rather Than Fear This Holiday Season". Poinsettias and mistletoe, while ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/12/20/poinsettias-and-mistletoe-not-the-killers-that-everyone-thinks-they-are/ The holidays are fast approaching and we encourage people to take a minute to think about preventing poisoning in their children. The holidays are a joyous time when family and friends gather together. It is also a time of year with an increased occurence of poisonings in children. While busily preparing for ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/12/08/take-extra-care-during-the-holidays-to-prevent-children-from-being-poisoned/ Data analyzed from calls taken by the New York City Poison Control Center, provide yet more evidence that special attention needs to be taken to prevent poisonings. Medications, as the leading cause of childhood poisoning, are particularly concerning. From the article: In fact, poisoning is the third leading cause of hospitalizations for ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/10/24/most-unintentional-childhood-poisonings-occur-at-home/ We came across an internet site with some recommendations regarding "First Aid for Poisoning". The recommendations included: 1. Find the container. Identifying the poison is the first step in selecting the right antidote. 2. Call the nearest doctor, giving him all the details as clearly as possible. 3. Rush the victim to hospital if ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/10/10/dont-believe-what-you-read-on-the-internet-as-we-like-to-say-at-the-poison-control-center-dont-guess-be-sure/ From the UK. The Health Protection Agency commissioned National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) has reported an 11% rise in the number of telephone enquiries from health professionals relating to incidents involving children aged under 10 years. Around 92 per cent of the 18,864 enquiries were caused by the accidental poisoning of children ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/09/12/rise-in-inquiries-related-to-child-poisonings-in-the-united-kingdom/ We came across some great recommendations, regarding childproofing the bathroom for medicines, posted on consumerreports.org from April 2007.  The full article can be found here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/resource-center/keeping-baby-safe-404/bathroom/0704_keeping-baby-safe_bathroom.htm?INTKEY=195BSE0 We'll post the pertinent information here. Medicines. Keep medicines away from bedside tables and install a lock on the medicine cabinet well out of your child's reach. You ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/08/13/childproofing-the-bathroom-from-consumer-reports/ This article ran in the Atlanta Journal constitution. Based on a report from the CDC, the leading cause of accidental poisonings among American children can be found in the family medicine cabinet. TUESDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The leading cause of accidental poisonings among American children can be found in ... http://medicationsafe.com/2009/08/08/medicines-top-source-of-kids-poisonings/