Pediatric insecticide chalk exposures reported to Texas poison centers

The pesticide Miraculous Insecticide Chalk(TM) is illegal in the United States but can be obtained through a variety of sources. Because it is a stick similar in appearance to common blackboard chalk, children might play with it and put it in their mouths. All Miraculous Insecticide Chalk exposures involving children 5 years or younger reported to Texas poison centers during 2000-2010 were identified. The distribution by selected demographic and clinical factors was calculated. Of the total 188 exposures, the mean age was 1.5 years (range 6 months-5 years) and 60.6% were male. Ingestions were reported in 97.3% of the exposures, and these were reported to involve at most one stick of the chalk. The lowest exposure rates per 100,000 population of 5 years or younger were reported in the Public Health Regions in northern and eastern Texas (0.00-2.30) and the highest rates in the Public Health Regions in southern and western Texas (19.08-39.50). Of the 187 exposures not involving other substances, 96.8% were known or expected to result in at most minor effects, and 71.1% were managed on site (at residence).