- Accidental poisoning is most likely to happen to children aged between 1 and 4 years old.
- Most of these incidents take place in the child’s home or in the home of their grandparent of a childminder.
- Children are most likely to come in contact with poisons during the afternoon, at the weekend and during school holidays.
A poison is any substance that can cause harm if it is swallowed, inhaled, injected or absorbed through the skin or eye; medicines, household products, chemicals, and even animals (for example wasp stings).
If you think your child has been poisoned
- Stay calm but act quickly.
- Take the poison away from your child.
- Never make your child vomit.
- If the poison was eaten, make the child spit it out, run your fingers around their mouth and flick out any remaining pieces.
- If a chemical has splashed into the eyes, wash the eyes with tap water for 15 minutes.
- Wash any skin that was in contact with the poison with soap and water.
Don’t Delay! Call (01) 809 2166
Your call will be answered by a Specialist in Poisons Information Centre. You will be advised if medical attention is needed.
Be ready to answer the following questions
- What was taken?
- How much was taken?
- What is the child’s age and weight?
- Does the child have symptoms?
- Does the child have an existing medical problem?
- What time did the poisoning occur?
- Is there information on the container?