There is a burgeoning fascination with the strange things children eat.  If one were to do an internet search on the three words “my child ate”, it looks like a lot of children are eating Tums, poop (yes, poop, human and pet), pennies, crayons, deodorant and a host of household products. 

As parents and caregivers, when it happens to our family, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we are always concerned.  Is it harmful?  Did they eat too much of it?  What is going to happen?

For the vast majority of calls to the IPC that start with those three little words, ‘my child ate”, the children have not ingested enough of whatever the product may be to cause any lasting harm, but this is not always the case.  There are some instances when even one pill or one swallow is too much.  Whenever I hear “my child ate her grandparent’s medications”, I am always concerned that this will be one of those times.  Some of the classes of drugs I am most concerned about include:

Calcium Channel Blockers: These are medicines used to control high blood pressure or fast heart rates.  Some of the generic names of the drugs may include verapamil, diltiazem, nifedipine and amlodipine.

• When ingested by a toddler, they can cause very low blood pressure and low heart rates.  This can be very difficult to treat medically and occasionally leads to death.

Prescription Pain Medications: These are pain medications used to treat acute and chronic pain.  Many of them are narcotics and include the generic names of hydrocodone, codeine, hydromorphone, morphine and methadone.

• Narcotic pain medications are especially dangerous to children.  Because of their small size and weight, a single pill can cause a child to become unconscious and stop breathing.

Oral Diabetes Medication: The pills that lower the blood sugar of people with diabetes can cause a dangerously low blood sugar in small children.  Some of the generic names include: glipizide and glyburide.

• The brain depends on the sugar in the blood (glucose) for energy.  When the glucose level in the blood gets too low, children can become unconscious and have seizures.

Anti-malarials/Anti-inflammatory medications: Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are used to treat malaria, but also used as an anti-inflammatory medication for people with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

• Symptoms of an overdose may range from nausea and vomiting to low blood pressure, shock, cardiac rhythm disturbances and possible death.

The prescription medications we take can make us feel better, control disease processes and allow us to live longer and healthier lives.  However in the hands of a curious child, these life-extending medications can be life-threatening.

Please be sure to store all medications safely and securely.  If you ever have a concern or question, call the Illinois Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for immediate, free and confidential information and treatment recommendations.  Don’t guess . . . be sure.

Don’t forget to check out the “My Child Ate…” resource center which gives toxicity level and treatment information for the most common substances/products ingested by children.

Click here for IPC’s free online Poison Prevention Education Course (available in English and Spanish), free Continuing Education Credit/CEC and access to a variety of free educational materials you can share with your family, friends, community (stickers, posters, activity sheets/books, brochures, etc.).

Mike

Here’s the complete series:

1. “My Child Ate…Poop”
2. “My Child Ate…Something Around the House!”
3. “My Child Ate…Christmas”
4. “My Child Ate… Nature!”
5. “My Child Ate…!” Honorable Mentions