Is Your Child in Danger? Accidental Poisoning From Prescription Drugs

A recent study shows that the number of poisonings in children who accidentally consumed prescription drugs has risen with the increasing availability of adult prescriptions within the United Sates.

Researchers gathered and examined data from the National Poison Data System and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys for 2000 through 2009, to find that the most common drugs accidentally ingested by children include those used to treat diabetes, high cholesterol, pain and cardiovascular diseases. 

The study showed that most emergency visits were caused by the accidental ingestion of stains and beta blockers. However, other serious injuries could be pinned to opioids and diabetes drugs.

The likelihood that a child would die from consuming a drug was highest among those aged 5 and under, followed by teenagers, according to the study.

As children love to explore and learn about the world, which can include putting anything and everything in their mouths, accidental poisonings can become alarmingly common among those who are unsupervised.

To help prevent this from happening, Baby Center notes to secure or get rid of the following things that could lead to dangerous health consequences for your child: household cleaning products, make-up, pills and medications, house plants, paint, paint remover and other decorating products, and garden pesticides.

If a child has ingested a harmful substance, it's important to try to determine how much of the product may have been consumed, call an ambulance and possibly find a sample of the material your child consumed to show to health officials.

The findings for the study can be found in the journal Pediatrics (June 3^rd issue).