Tips to prevent accidental poisoning in children:

• Keep the harmful products like cleaning products like ammonia, disinfectants, soaps, bleaches, furniture polish, drainage cleaners etc out of reach of children or store it in a locked compartment.
• Never refer to medicine as "candy".
• Do not leave alcohol within a child’s reach
• Read labels explicitly before administering medications (especially in the middle of the night).
• Always replace the safety caps as soon as you pour any medicine or use a household substance that can cause injury.
• Keep the telephone number of your local poison control center by the phone.
• Teach children never to eat or drink anything that is offered to them by a stranger.
• Keep a bottle of syrup of ipecac in the home but only give it after first consulting with your doctor or the poison control center.
• Never place non-edible products in food containers.
• Before applying pesticides remove children and their toys as well as pets from the area and keep them away until the pesticide has dried or as long as is recommended on the label. Be alert for repeat poisonings. Statistics show that children who swallow a poison are likely to attempt it again within a year.

What to keep in mind if there is accidental poisoning has occurred in children:

• The child’s age and approximate weight.
• Important medical information about the child, for example any existing health problems or conditions.
• The substance involved, was it ingested (swallowed), inhaled, splashed into the eyes, or absorbed through the skin?
• How much of the potential poison was involved? When unsure of the exact amount, err on the side of over-estimating. For example, if you are unsure how many pills remained in the bottle assume that the child ingested the full number that were prescribed.
• Any treatment that has already been given
• Is the child awake, lethargic, or drowsy and are they exhibiting any other symptoms?
• Your exact location and how far you are from the nearest hospital
• Save all original containers or bottles as they contain a list of ingredients included in the medication or product in question.

First aid measures during poisoning:

Inhaled poison

Get the child to fresh air immediately. Open doors and windows. If the child is not breathing, you will be instructed to begin artificial respiration.

Poisons on the skin

Remove all clothing that is contaminated and begin to flood the skin with water for ten full minutes. Wash gently with soap and water and rinse the skin well.

Poisons on the skin

Remove all clothing that is contaminated and begin to flood the skin with water for ten full minutes. Wash gently with soap and water and rinse the skin well.

Poisons in the eye

Flush the eye with lukewarm water poured from a large glass or pitcher held about two to three inches from the eye. Continue to do this for 15 minutes and ask the child to blink as much as possible to assist in irrigating the eye. Do not attempt to force the eyelids open.

Ingested or swallowed poisons :

Do not give anything by mouth. Syrup of ipecac can be give which induces vomiting. Do not give ipecac to the children below one year of age, in drowsy child. Take the child immediately to the emergency department. Keep the child towards side to prevent aspiration.