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Poison Control:

No matter how hard you try to keep every dangerous chemical out of your child's reach, it is still possible that they might get into something. It could be that you are visiting someone, and they have something lying around that could harm your child if they were to swallow it. You just never know what your child may get into, so it is best to be prepared and informed just in case.

There is a product available that induces vomiting, and can come in handy to give your child when they ingest something poisonous. There are a couple of important points to be aware of if you are to buy this product, though:

• You need to keep it with you at all times—as mentioned above, it is very possible that you keep every dangerous substance in your house out of your child's reach, so you will need to take this with you wherever you go (it might be best to store it in a diaper bag or purse, whatever is with you everywhere you take your child), this way no matter where you are when it happens, you will have it on you.

• You should read the directions before giving it to your child—not just the directions on the vomit-inducing product, but also the directions on whatever they ingested. The main reason behind this is that a lot of products say on them not to induce vomiting.

When your child drinks or eats something that is poisonous to them, you should always, always, always follow the directions. If it does say to induce vomiting (which is rare), then you can use the vomit-inducing liquid mentioned above. If you don't have any of this, you can always gag your child into vomiting by sticking your finger down their throat. It's not a fun thing to have to do, but if it is necessary, you will be able to do it.
If, however, the product says not to induce vomiting (and this is the most likely scenario), you should most definitely not do it. The reason that many labels say this is because vomiting is a side effect of many poisons. If you cause your child to throw up, it is impossible to use their stomach pain level or vomiting level as a gauge to tell how sick it has made them.

If a label doesn't say what to do, and just says call poison control, this is what you should do. How they want you to deal with it may depend on what it is, their age or size, and how much they ingested. Almost everything that can pose a risk to a child will have the number for poison control on the label. Just in case, it is always an excellent idea to have their number posted somewhere that is easily accessible during times of emergency. If your child ingests something that they shouldn't, and you have no idea whether it is harmful or not, and there is no number on it, you can either call information, look in the front of the phone book, or grab a common household product (such as toothpaste or a cleaning product) to find the number.

It is also a great idea to try to have as much information as possible when calling poison control. How dangerous a product is to a person will depend on three very important factors:

• What active ingredients are in the product and how much of them are in it.

• The weight of the person who ingested it.

• How much of it they ingested.

These are the three most important things they will ask you. Obviously, you may not know exactly how much they ingested, but an approximate guess is better than none. Knowing your child's approximate weight will help in identifying how much danger they are in, as well. If you haven't weighed them in a while, having them step on a scale real quick while you are calling isn't a bad idea. The last most important point is to know exactly what your child has swallowed. Keep the tube or bottle with you when you call. The operators at poison control have quite a bit of information, including lists of products and what chemicals they contain, but they don't have everything. A detail as little as whether a medicine is regular strength or extra strength can make all the difference. Also, if the product your child swallowed is from a generic brand, they may not have information about that particular product and what percentages are in them. This is why it is always best to have it with you when you call.

One of the most important things to remember is that you should never hesitate to call poison control. Don't be afraid of what someone will think of you as a parent, and if you are ever unsure, you should call. They are extremely nice, and ready to help. They can give you signs to watch out for in your child, and many times they will call you back later to check up on your child. You should also always follow their directions, whether they say to keep a close eye on your child for six hours, or take them to the emergency room to have their stomach pumped. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

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