Poison Dangers At Home That Can Attract Children

You might think your home is safe for a small child. But you’d be surprised at the dangers to children lurking inside. 

In this KERA Health Checkup, Mike Yudizsky with the North Texas Poison Center described some “everyday items” in the home that might seem harmless, but that can be dangerous in a child's hands.

Child-Proof Containers

“What they actually are is child-resistant. That means it’s supposed to slow them down, not keep them out. We hope that parents with small children use child-resistant caps, but that have to remember they are child-resistant and not childproof.”

Baby Oil

“If it goes all the way down to the stomach, it’s not going to be a big deal.  But we’re afraid that when that kiddo was drinking it, he choked on it. As little as a half a teaspoon of a hydrocarbon in your lungs is usually fatal. It causes a type of pneumonia that they just don’t hardly ever respond to treatments.”

Perfume

“There’s actually very little fragrance in a bottle of perfume. It’s almost straight alcohol, and the little ones don’t do very good with the alcohol sometimes.”

Nail Polish

“If you put nail polish on your nails, not a problem at all, obviously. But if a child drinks nail polish, that can be a problem. So it’s the misuse of these products that turns them into a poison.”

Mike Yudizsky is the Public Health Education Manager for the North Texas Poison Center.

Full Interview Transcript

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