Spot Symptoms of Poisoning in Children
Children will, by nature, explore the world surrounding them. For younger children this often means putting things in their mouths, while for older children it can mean trying to create science experiments with whatever ingredients can be found. Either of these scenarios carries a high risk of accidental poisoning, the symptoms of which every parent should be able to spot and treat appropriately. Read on to learn more about spot symptoms of poisoning in children.
Instructions
Spot Symptoms of Poisoning in Children
1. Spot signs of chemical poisoning on your child's skin and clothing. Unusual skin rashes or burns accompanied by corresponding tears, holes or stains on a child's clothes may indicate that he has been in contact with poisonous household chemicals. Immediately remove the affected clothing and rinse his skin with warm water for a minimum of 15 minutes before contacting your local poison control center.
2. Pay attention to strange smells on your child's breath, particularly if she has been out of your sight for a couple of minutes or if she has unusual marks around her mouth. It may indicate that she has gotten into and ingested some type of poisonous liquid or eaten the berries or leaves of a poisonous plant.
3. Watch for sudden drowsiness or lethargy, as these are symptoms of many different types of poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning, in particular, causes fatigue, dizziness and headaches. Since carbon monoxide is a difficult to detect, odorless gas that can leak slowly over time, it's important not to discount these symptoms even if they are gradual and persistent.
4. Ask for a blood test to check levels of lead in your child's blood. The symptoms of lead poisoning are irreversible and sometimes mimic those of ADHD. Children who live or have lived in homes built before 1979 and are exhibiting difficulty with memory, fine motor skills and decision-making should be tested for lead poisoning before a definitive diagnosis for ADHD is made.
5. Suspect ingestion poisoning if your child has trouble breathing, throat pain, vomiting and inexplicable copious drooling. Look around the area to see if you can spot any open or empty containers that might indicate what the child swallowed.
Treat Poisoning in Children
6. Remove the poisonous substance from your child's reach, and have him spit it out if he hasn't swallowed it yet. With young children you may have to forcibly remove the substance by using two fingers to scoop it out of the mouth.
7. Call the rescue squad immediately if your child is having trouble breathing, is unconscious, appears to be having seizures or has ingested or been in contact with an unknown substance.
8. Call the poison control center for instructions on counteract poisoning if you know what your child has come in contact with and doesn't appear to be in immediate medical danger. Don't try to make her vomit unless specifically instructed to, since some caustic poisons can cause additional damage on the way back up.
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