Child medication risks misunderstood; Safe Kids offers simple tips to save children’s lives
Washington, D.C. – On March 20, 2013 Safe Kids Worldwide released a new research report that found kids are getting into medicine at an alarming rate. Every minute of every day, a poison control center receives a call about a potential medicine poisoning for a child age five and under. And 67,000 times each year, or every eight minutes, a young child goes to the emergency room for medicine poisoning. This is a 30 percent increase over the past ten years.
In its report entitled An In-Depth Look at Keeping Young Children Safe Around Medicine, Safe Kids examines data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, information from poison control centers and findings from several focus groups among moms. The report reviews what is happening in households that leads to these disturbing numbers and offers parents simple things they can do to protect their children.
“Ask any parent, and they will tell you they store medicine where children can’t get them,” said Kate Carr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “But they might not be thinking of pills stored in purses, vitamins left on counter tops or a diaper rash remedy near a changing table.”
Click here to read the full press release and tips for keeping kids safe around medications. Click here to visit the California Poison Control System website and order free health education materials to spread the word about poison prevention.
