Poison emergency tips

I had to call Poison Control once and they quickly helped reassure me what had happened wasn’t serious. If you think your child drank or ate something, it’s a good idea to have the item with you when you make the call so the Poison Control people can look up product information.

The 12/26/06 Heloise column published lifesaving tips if your child ingested something poisonous.

Basically, here’s what to look for:

• Symptoms typically appear within a few hours
• Look for burns or stains around lips and mouth
• Check for strange smells from child’s breadth
• Sleepiness at odd times
• Child can’t keep eyes open or focused

Here’s what to do:

• Do not induce vomiting
• When in doubt, call the national Poison Control Center toll-free at (800) 222-1222 anytime 24/7.

Personally, I suggest you:

• Keep the number in your wallet
• Put the number in speed dial of every home phone and cell phone, including the grandparents’
• Keep the number with other emergency numbers you leave for parents and caregivers

Take a minute to make sure you got this info handy… just in case.
-Roland