Dec. 4--Amid a festive season comes a dire warning -- children are at a higher risk for poisoning during the holidays.
Medications and essential oils are particularly dangerous, said Jude McNally, managing director of the Tucson-based Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center.
McNally said that during the holidays, his center has found children under 5 are more frequently accidentally exposed to medications and household products.
Data from 2002 through 2006 show such calls to the poison center increased by almost three times on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the days immediately before and after, over the usual daily number of 66 calls on that topic.
"There are many typical scenarios, but one of them is when relatives are visiting and medications are left in suitcases and on nightstands. Certainly grandparents might not be used to childproofing an area. And it may well be they are staying in the kids' bedroom," McNally said.
"Children are curious, and they are great imitators. What would be worse than swallowing aspirin without water? They do that out of the sheer power of imitation, even if it's uncomfortable and tastes bad."
In a recent case, the center had a report of a child ingesting clonidine, a blood pressure medication. "As little as one tablet is enough to have a child admitted to the hospital," McNally said.
Another typical scenario is children ingesting over-the-counter medicine. Tylenol, ibuprofin and allergy medicines are all dangerous for children, as are liquid cold and cough medicines.
"If the parents are not feeling well, the children may be left to their own devices, and brightly colored liquids are pretty tempting for a child to taste," he said. "But those adult products can be devastating for children."
Among the newest culprits are fragrant liquid candles that come in a jar. Although the candles look sealed, the oil will drip out through the wick, and a drop or two in the lungs of a child can cause chemical pneumonia.
"We recently had a child hospitalized for weeks for that," McNally said. "That's kind of a new one this year. If people want to use the liquid candles, we tell them to treat it like it's always lit -- we'd never put a lit candle somewhere where a child would always be. We keep it out of places where they could tip it over and get into trouble."
The problem with the liquid candles is that some ingredients in essential oils and flavors can be extremely toxic if ingested. As little as a teaspoon of oil of wintergreen, for example, is enough to be life-threatening to a 2-year-old.
other potential holiday hazards
--Poinsettia: It's really quite safe. The only hazard for young children could be an obstruction from a large leaf in the mouth.
--Mistletoe and holly: Both are toxic plants. Three or four berries from mistletoe can cause problems. The center has received calls from people after their mistletoe has dried and the berries fell to the ground, only to be eaten by children and pets.
--Dry ice: Dry ice is composed of carbon dioxide, and skin contact can cause skin damage, especially in young children. Also, it can cause burns to the mouth if it's swallowed.
DID YOU KNOW
The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center at the University of Arizona is 53 years old.
The center began when pharmacology professor Albert Picchioni put together a set of notecards on common household poisons. Nearly 30 years ago, the Arizona Legislature designated the service as a regional poison control center with state funding for the 24-hour phone line.
Specially trained pharmacists at the center now answer about 75,000 phone calls from Arizonans annually, advising people on everything from snakebites to medication.
About half the calls concern human exposure to something toxic, and about half of those calls involve young children.
--Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or at sinnes@azstarnet.com.
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