Prevent poisoning
He thought it was a sweetie because it was bright like a jelly so he gave it to Orla who bit into it.
Mum talking about washing tabs/pods
Bright nottles of cleaning liquid, squidgy washing tablets, shiny packets or painkillers... Small children are curious and want to learn more and put things in their mouths.
Unfortunately things that make our lives easier can be harmful to small children, as their bodies process poisons differently. Thank goodness it is easy to keep children safe.
Laundry products
Small children can mistake brightly coloured products for sweets or toys, especially laundry capsules. But the concentrated chemicals can do serious damage to children's insides, skin and eyes.
- it's tempting to keep products beside the washing machines. Move them to a high up or lockable cupboard
- watch out for fast little fingers, don't leave a washing tablet on top of the washing
- put products away out of reach as soon as you've used them
- when shopping, look out for products with a bittering agent like Bitrex, it tastes so horrible, children spit it out instead of swallowing, preventing accidental poisoning
Everyday painkillers
The most common way for young people to be poisoned.
- keep all medicines out of reach and sight of young children, ideally in a high up or lockable cupboard
- watch out for painkillers left on the bedside table or in a handbag on the floor
Cleaning products
Helpful for you but they can be harmful for small children.
- what's lurking under your sink or next to your toilet? Move cleaning products to a high up or loackable cupboard
- put them out of reach again as after use
- don't rely on safety, they slow children down but they're not childproof
- look out for products with bittering agent like Bitrex when you're shopping
- don't pour cleaning prodyucts into other bottles like drinks bottles, children can get confused