Health Teachings

Poison Prevention and Safety for Toddlers

Poison is one of the deadliest factors of death among children. Most poisonings happen when parents and caregivers
are not paying attention. The most dangerous potential poisons are medicines, cleaning products, liquid nicotine,
antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, pesticides, furniture polish, gasoline, kerosene and lamp oil. Be very vigilant at all
times to avoid accidents and further damages.

 Store medicine, cleaning and laundry products, (including detergent packets) paints/varnishes and pesticides in
their original packaging in locked cabinets or containers, out of sight and reach of children.
 Purchase and keep all medicines in containers with safety caps. Discard unused medication. Note that safety
caps are designed to be child resistant but are not fully child proof.
 Never refer to medicine as “candy” or another appealing name.
 Check the label each time you give a child medicine to ensure proper dosage. For liquid medicines, use the
dosing device that came with the medicine. Never use a kitchen spoon and use the appropriate dosage for the
child’s age and when to administer the medicine.
 Never place poisonous products in food or drink containers.
 Keep natural gas-powered appliances, furnaces, and coal, wood or kerosene stoves in safe working order.
 Secure remote controls, key fobs, greeting cards, and musical children’s books away if not in use. These and
other devices may contain small button-cell batteries that can cause injury if ingested.
 Know the names of all plants in your home and yard. If you have young children or pets, consider removing
those that are poisonous.
 Never leave vitamin bottles, aspirin bottles, or other medicine on kitchen tables, countertops, bedside tables, or
dresser tops. Kids may decide to try to copy adults and help themselves.
 Never put roach powders or rat poison on the floors of your home. Do not use insect sprays on furniture or
mattresses.
 Keep laundry supplies out of site and in a locked cabinet. Laundry detergent pods are more dangerous than
other detergent types. If you have children under 6 years old, consider using traditional detergent rather than
pods.
 Store household cleaning products and aerosol sprays in a high cabinet far from reach.
 Don't keep any cleaning supplies — including dishwasher powder, liquid, or pods — under the sink or in an
unlocked cabinet.
 Food extracts, such as vanilla and almond, may contain alcohol and can be harmful to kids.
 Always remember the hotline numbers in your community in case of emergency.

Be aware of your child's surroundings and what could be dangerous. Keeping a close eye on kids is the very best way to
protect them from injuries or getting poisoned.
Physical Activities of Children at Home

For children and teens to grow up healthy, it’s important they are physically active and not just depend on gadgets and
other modern technologies nowadays. In our generation, most young children as young as 1 year old even know how to
operate a mobile phone and watch videos on YouTube. Though modern technology contribute a great deal of
advantages to our children, it is important that they still have fun physically and do things they actually enjoy for a wide
range of benefits such as:

 Keep their heart and lungs strong and healthy,

 Become more flexible,
 Develop strong bones,
 Keep a healthy body weight,
 Lower the risk of several diseases and health problems,
 Improve their mood and self-esteem, and
 Do better in school

“Sedentary behaviour” means time spent doing very little physical activity, such as sitting at a computer, playing video
games, or watching television. Children and teens should spend less time on these activities and more time being active.

Toddlers aged 1-2 years old require 180 minutes of physical activity through the day (planned and organized and
unstructured physical activity or free play). Activities should be fun and encourage your toddler to explore and try new
things

 Choose activities that suit your child’s age and stage of development.
 Give your child lots of time to be active in both structured activities, like organized sports, and unstructured
activities, like playing in a playground.
 Keep activities fun.
 Set limits on how much time your children and teens spend in front of a screen (that includes television,
computers, tablets, video games, and smart phones). For children aged 2 to 5 years, limit total daily screen time
to less than 1 hour. Screen time is not recommended for children under 2 years.
 Be sure activities are safe and be a good role model to the child.
Safety Environment for Growing Toddlers

Toddlers and young children like to explore, climb, walk, run, and dance. Falls are the major cause of serious injuries in
toddlers and school-age children. Moreover, toddlers and pre-schoolers experience most fall injuries at home. As a
result, fall detection, prediction, and prevention to assist parents' supervision become critical issues for toddler
healthcare at home. As responsible parents and caregivers, we should be aware on how to minimize risks to prevent
injuries and serious damages.

You can help prevent accidents in the following ways:

 As soon as your baby can walk, lock doors to all dangerous areas. Encourage your toddler to stay sitting down
when bathing.
 Be careful when using equipment such as high chairs and changing tables. Always use the safety straps, and
keep a close eye on your child.
 Keep stairways clean and safe. Carpeting on stairs should be in good repair. Uncarpeted stairs should be kept
clean but not slick. Train your child to hold on to the rail and to walk carefully down each step one at a time. If
you have pets, teach your child to keep away from them while on stairs.
 Watch your toddler when he or she is outside. Uneven grass, sloping lawns, and hills can make walking difficult.
 Attach rubber pad to throw rugs to secure them on flooring. If possible, do not have throw rugs on areas where
the toddler usually plays or walks around.
 Have your child stay seated when he or she is eating or drinking. And don't allow your child to walk or run with
any objects in his or her mouth. Your unsteady toddler could get face and mouth injuries in addition to other
injuries from a fall. Keep hot drinks away from and out of reach of the child.
 Don't allow your child to climb on high furniture.
 To avoid toddler falling off the bed, make sure he/she has someone near him/her when sleeping or be on the
edge to prevent from falling.
 Playground equipment especially slides and monkey bars are dangerous to toddlers when unsupervised. Avoid
taking your child to playgrounds that don't have a soft surface beneath the equipment.
 Clean up litter, the easiest method for preventing falls is to keep your home neat and tidy.
 Repair or remove tripping hazards such as wires on floors and unused toys on the floor or hallways.
 When changing toddlers’ clothes, it’s safest to change them on the floor.
 Lock matches, cigarette lighters, candles and flammable liquids away and out of reach of children.
 Use power point covers and replace electrical appliances and cord if they’re worn if cannot be helped, isolate.
 Never leave food cooking unattended at home when child is present.
 Teach your child that if their clothing catches fire, they should:
o Stop running and drop to the floor
o Cover their face with their hands and roll on the floor to put the fire out
 Always remember the hotline numbers in your community in case of emergency.
Resources:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Poison-Prevention.aspx

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/safety-poisoning.html

https://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/physical_activity

https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/ue5136

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3892873/