When it comes to over-the-counter medicines and household products, I think all of us as parents have had some pretty close calls or actual incidents in terms of accidental ingestion. It’s scary how quick (and curious) kids are. I still remember the time my then three year old got her hands on (and teeth into) a rogue ibuprofen tablet when I was battling the flu.
As soon as your baby blossoms into a full-fledged toddler, you realize quickly how vital it is to stay one step ahead of them when it comes to medicine safety and keeping potentially toxic chemicals out of their curious little hands.
It’s why I write and talk about this topic so frequently. So when I was contacted by OTC Safety about becoming a blog ambassador for their amazing safety prevention program, it was a no brainer for me. I have long been a fan of their website and eye-catching infographics that give parents quick and essential tips on keeping kids safe around OTC products.
Just check out these infographics to the left and below, made specifically to to kick off this 6 month project. These safety facts and tips are what OTCSafety is all about:
1. Always use the measuring device that comes with your child’s medication (not a kitchen spoon) to be sure your child receives the proper dose.
2. Children under the age of 4 should NOT be given OTC cough and/or cold medicines. There are plenty of other ways to help your little one through the stuffy noses and coughs of cold and flu season.
3. 60,000 children end up in ERs every year because they got into a medication while their parent or caregiver wasn’t looking.
4. Never use a medication for your child for the sole purpose of making him/her sleepy.
5. Always keep medicines and household chemicals up and out of sight from your children.
I’m so excited to be a part of this program and to bring you important information about keeping your 
children safe around medicines. Be on the lookout for 2 posts per month devoted solely to this mission. We’ll be talking ways to safely store medications with personal photos to show you how I do it in our home.
We’ll also cover sunscreen safety, when to toss certain products, how to talk to your kids about OTC and prescription medications, keeping teens safe from medicine abuse, and how to safely treat colds and allergies in your kids.
I hope that you’ll share your stories along the way and help spread the word on your social media spaces if you can. The more parents and healthcare professionals we have on board, the more parents and kids we will reach. And through our efforts, we hope this translates into significantly less children being rushed to the ER for an accidental ingestion.
One thing you can do today, and one I have already done is take the Up and Away pledge. In fact, make sure grandparents and babysitters take the pledge too. OTCSafety has partnered with the CDC to create this educational program to help remind families of the importance of safe medicine storage. And if you haven’t already done so, please keep The Poison Control number handy and easy to see (better yet, program it into your smartphone): 1-800-222-1222.
Stay one step ahead of your kids. Be proactive about safe medicine storage. And never (ever) underestimate the swiftness and determination of a curious toddler.
**Disclosure: I receive compensation as part of the CHPA OTC Safety Ambassador Program. However, the content and opinions here are my own.**
This information is great!
Unfortunately it is really hard to read the infographic on the left. Is there a link to a higher resolution image?
Thanks!
Yes, they were hard to read as one big one. We’ve tweaked them a bit, so hopefully this is better. Click on them to see it more clearly!