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Circumstances surrounding accidental poisoning in children
B H Azizi1, H I Zulkifli, M S Kassim
1Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur.
Insights
Accidental childhood poisoning is linked to unsafe household storage of poisons and poor parental safety practices. Education on safe storage and first aid is crucial to prevent poisoning incidents in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Toxicology
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Accidental poisoning is a significant cause of childhood morbidity.
- Unsafe household environments contribute to poisoning incidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the circumstances surrounding accidental poison ingestion in hospitalized children.
- To compare safety practices between families of poisoning victims and control families.
Main Methods:
- Investigated circumstances in 70 hospitalized children and compared safety practices with 140 controls.
- Assessed poison storage, container types, and parental first aid responses.
Main Results:
- Indian children had higher hospitalization rates for poisoning.
- Poor safety measures, including unsafe storage (only 12.9% in cupboards), were prevalent.
- Kerosene ingestion from soft drink containers (70%) and medication ingestion from envelopes (57.9%) were common.
- Parents of victims exhibited poorer safety practices compared to controls.
- Mothers discovered most incidents (75%) and administered first aid.
Conclusions:
- Childhood poisoning is associated with inadequate household safety measures and storage.
- Improved packaging, clearer instructions, and targeted parental education are essential.
- Public health initiatives should focus on educating parents, especially mothers, on prevention and first aid.
Abstract:
Circumstances surrounding accidental ingestion of poisons were investigated in families of 70 hospitalised children. Indian children were more likely to be hospitalised for poisoning. Poor safety measures directly contributed to poisoning incidents. Poisons had not been stored safely and only in 12.9 per cent of families were the poisons allegedly kept in cupboards. Kerosene had been ingested from soft drink containers in 70 per cent of instances. Medications had been taken mainly from plastic envelopes (57.9%) or bottles (31.6%). Safety practices in the homes of cases and 140 controls were compared. As a whole parents of victims had poor safety practices when compared with parents of controls. Poisoning incidents were discovered by mothers in 75.0 per cent of the cases. Vomiting was induced by parents in 32.3 per cent of cases involving medications and non-volatile items, and in 41.6 per cent of kerosene ingestions. Before hospitalisation 59.4 per cent were brought to general practitioners and 22.7 per cent to government clinics. Mothers were the main attendants when children were brought for medical care. This study highlights the need for measures to prevent childhood poisoning and reduce its morbidity. Household products and medications should be made safer to children through improved packaging, prescribing instructions and education. Safety and first aid education may be directed towards parents, particularly mothers, through the media and health facilities.