Common Types of Poisonings¹

The Ontario Regional Poison Information Centre receives thousands of calls each year about poisonings. Here are the top most common types of poisonings in the home:

1. Pain Medicines – Tylenol, Aspirin, Motrin
2. Household cleaners – bleach, dishwasher detergents, window cleaners, oven cleaners
3. Other prescription and non-prescription medicines – sleeping pills, vitamins, allergy pills, depression pills
4. Cosmetics and personal care products – lotions, perfumes, nail polish remover, deodorants, toothpaste, mouthwash
5. Plants – indoor and outdoor
6. Cough and cold medicines – liquid, pills or lozenges
7. Alcohol – beer, wine, liquor, rubbing alcoholGasoline and other car products – car oil, antifreeze, lock de-icer, windshield washer fluid

If you know or even think that a child has been poisoned call the

Ontario Regional Poison Information Centre at 1-800-268-9017. 

The number is located in the front of the phone book.

Supervision and poison-proofing your home are key to preventing poisonings in young children

Supervision

Children are always changing. They grow and develop quickly during the first 6 years of life. They learn to crawl, walk, climb, open doors and get into containers before we know it. They want to see, touch and taste everything. These normal behaviours put them at risk for poisonings.

 All children are different. The way you need to supervise one child may be different from the way you need to supervise another child. There is more than one way to supervise young children – you can use hold, follow or watch.

• Hold means to physically touch a child.
• Follow means to be within arm’s reach of a child.
• Watch means paying attention to what a child is doing, teaching him safety rules, reminding him of the rules and making sure he is following the rules.

Here are five questions parents or caregivers can ask to help them decide when to use hold, follow or watch:

1. What can the child do?
2. How active is the child?
3. How impulsive is the child?
4. How well does the child follow requests and rules?
5. How safe is the environment?

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has developed a booklet to help parents and caregivers learn more about Hold, Follow, Watch.

Click here to download the Hold, Follow, Watch booklet in PDF format.

Poison-proofing Your Home

Homes contain many items that can poison a young child. It only takes a second for a child to drink, touch or inhale a poison so:

• Lock away all medicines, prescription and non prescription
• Lock away all household cleaning products and detergents
• Lock away all personal care products
• Lock away all alcohol
• Lock away all car products, insecticides and fertilizers

The Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto has developed two excellent resources for parents and caregivers: “Poison-proof your home,” and “Plant Safety”

Click here to download “Poison-proof your home” pamphlet in PDF format

Click here to download “Plant Safety” in PDF format

For a free copy of “Hold, Follow, Watch,” “Poison-proof your home,” and  “Plant Safety” call:

• Windsor-Essex County local calls: 519-258-2146 ext. 1340
• Long distance calls: 1-800-265-5822 ext. 1340 

References:

• The Hospital for Sick Children. (2004). Poison-proof your home. Toronto Ontario: The Graphic Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children.
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. (2004). Hold, Follow, Watch. Windsor Ontario: Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.