Need To Keep Poisons Away From Children

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30602, 19 November 1964, Page 13

Need To Keep Poisons Away From Children

The poisoning of children is common in New Zealand, and drugs are the most common poisoning agent, says, Dr. J. A. Meade, of in the “New Zealand Medical Journal.”

Household disinfectants, cleansing agents and pest poisons are given by Dr. Meade as the next most common cause, and he says that in about a quarter of all cases the poisoning agent is petrol, kerosene, or oil. “In surprisingly few cases

the agent occurred in nature,” be continues. “In the great majority of cases the poison-

ng agent was any one of a ange of poisonous substances

commonly found and easily accessible in the average New Zealand home.

“Doctors should consciously and continuously try to limit the prescription of any drug to the minimal amount required for the treatment of a specific illness.”

There is also need for public education so that the frequency of poisoning in children is known and recognised, the poisons used are known and the importance of making all poisons, however commonplace or widely used, inaccessible at least to crawlers and toddlers, he says. After examining cases in the Waikato Hospital, Dr. Meade says the poisons were truly representative of the contents of bathroom cupboards and dressing tables, garages and tool sheds, broom cupboards and sink cubboards around New Zealand. In only nine cases were the poisons substances occurring in nature. In four of these the poison was deadly nightshade, in three arum lily seeds, toadstools were responsible in one case and flowers which had not been classified botanically caused the other case.

The largest number of cases was poisoned with drugs kept in the home and accessible to children. Twenty poisonings were by the antihista-

mine group of drugs taken as Pills, capsules, or in syrups. These drugs had been introduced into the home for the treatment of colds and coughs. Aspirin was taken in poisonous doses in 11 cases and caused the only death in the series.

Forty-nine poisoning cases were caused by household poisonings. Some of them were by bleaches, eight by turpentine, four by camphor mothballs, five by rat poison, four by carpet shampoos, four by insecticides, two caustic soda and three by paint. In 30 cases poisons taken were petrol or oils.