Poison Control
If you do a good job of childproofing your house, your infant shouldn't be at too much risk of getting into any real poisons. If she does get into a poison, such as one of your own medicines, household cleaners, or something even more serious such as a pesticide, do you know what to do?
In Case of Emergency
The AAP no longer recommends that parents keep syrup of ipecac in their homes to induce vomiting. Instead, you should just call Poison Control. This used to mean remembering your local poison control number, but getting help got a lot easier a few years ago when the system was switched to a single nationwide toll-free number. To call your nearest poison control center from anywhere in the United States, you now simply dial 1-800-222-1222, and a poison safety expert will help you figure out what to do for your child.
To prevent poisonings, remember to use products with child-resistant caps, even vitamins and herbal supplements. Store your household cleaners, chemicals, and insecticides out of reach in a locked cabinet. Also keep all hazardous products in their original containers, instead of transferring them to a milk or soda bottle to use them.
Lead Poisoning
As your infant becomes more mobile, paint chips become a potential source of lead poisoning. If you live in a new house, your kids aren't at risk, but if you live in a house that was built before 1950, or that was built before 1978 and is now being remodeled, these paint chips can be a hazard to them. If you have an older home with deteriorating paint, be sure to have your home and your child tested for lead. You also can keep your kids safe from paint chips and dust contaminated with lead by washing their toys and pacifiers often and covering or sealing places that might be covered with lead paint. In addition, you may want to consider having the lead paint professionally removed from your home.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that 25 percent of houses still have “significant” amounts of leadbased paints. Most parents do a poor job of estimating how old their home is, potentially putting their children at risk.
If you have a job or hobby that involves working with lead, it is important to change your clothes before entering the house, and to wash your clothing separately from your family's clothes.
