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What Are The Repercussions Of Toddler Accidentally Consuming Folic Acid And Megafol?
Question: Hi. My toddler may have just swallowed some megafol 0.5mg folic acid tablets at about 3.30pm today! I found her with the bottle opened and some tablets on the floor. Don't know how many was in the bottle, took these tablets when I was pregnant with her. Am horrified it was in the room, we especially baby proofed the place. Bottle must've rolled under my bed some time ago without my knowing and she's fished it out.... Bottle says expiry 04/16. We tried to make her sick a number of times, but it didn't work.. Now she's looking/acting totally fine/ running around as usual. Just prior to finding her with the tablets, I gave her a bottle of 200mls of formula made up with water....Afterwards she drank 150mls of cows milk...Right now, she's energetically playing as usual as though nothing has happened. It's now an hour after first finding her.
Please advise.
thanks.
Please advise.
thanks.
Brief Answer:
There is no need to panic
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
The first thing that I would suggest you is not to panic. Usually overdose symptoms of folic acid is not severe. Overdose symptoms may include numbness or tingling, mouth or tongue pain, weakness, tired feeling confusion, or trouble concentrating.
I would suggest you to be patient and observant. You need not try to make her sick and need not make her vomit it out. There should be nothing to worry if the child is active and playful. But in case you observe anything abnormal or if the child becomes lethargic, it might be worthwhile to visit without delay, the emergency department of a hospital with pedicatric facilities.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
There is no need to panic
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
The first thing that I would suggest you is not to panic. Usually overdose symptoms of folic acid is not severe. Overdose symptoms may include numbness or tingling, mouth or tongue pain, weakness, tired feeling confusion, or trouble concentrating.
I would suggest you to be patient and observant. You need not try to make her sick and need not make her vomit it out. There should be nothing to worry if the child is active and playful. But in case you observe anything abnormal or if the child becomes lethargic, it might be worthwhile to visit without delay, the emergency department of a hospital with pedicatric facilities.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your prompt reply, it put my mind at ease. She seems ok now.
This incident is part of a bigger problem, which leads to my next question: HOW CAN I STOP HER GRABBING EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME? (Sure pills should not have been there, an extreme example).
I share my bedroom with her and as she can climb out of the cot I have very recently placed her on a mattress on the floor as she's not ready for a toddler bed. I have had to remove my big items -chest of drawers, book shelves etc, but she still: grabs her bedding and my bedding and drags if around the room, grabs pictures of the walls which had to go too, grabs the curtains which I have already pegged up higher, grabs the brown paper I have stuck on the windows for shade, grabs the wedge I placed behind the door for added certainty....I had to get rid of my bedside table and lamp as she kept grabbing at it, and trying to jump on the table. I hide small items of mine in my bed, like XXXXXXX phone, torch, radio, but she finds them and puts them in her mouth...I don't want to say no no no no every moment of the day like a broken record. That's not pleasant for either of us, but I know by removing everything, she's not learning...She used to watch her children's dvds from the safety of her cot through the bars, but I've had to remove the protable dvd player as she would grab it. She used to try to kick it off its stand from the cot. This means I have great difficulty settling her to sleep at night without her favourite dvds for her to focus on...Also, how can I hope to communicate that she can run into her own separate playroom and grab everything as it only contains her toys, but she can't grab everything in the bedroom she shares with me as some are my things, and she's not allowed to touch anything at all in the supermarket. This seems impossible. (I have to keep her in the pram when we go shopping.)
I would like her to be allowed to walk freely around the house, but she's confined to her own play room, the bedroom I share with her and a play pen in the living room because she will grab things, climb furniture and hurt herself.
She is 21 months and otherwise healthy, 13.5kg, very tall, happy temperament, affectionate, once getting to sleep she sleeps well, and eats a broad variety of family food well.. I do not believe this is linked to any major development problems. She can concentrate on her dvds, tv shows well for her age. She tip toes intermittently, but a private podiatrist advised she's too young to intervene. She was saying two words at 10 months of age, but chooses to only babble now. She does however, use her babble to communicate and is quite vocal.
I cannot get in to see a specialist here until the end of this year, I could make good progress with her before then if you could give me some pointers, or do you think she's just too young? GP didn't give me any answers, neither did occupational therapists. I have not found any good books in the library. If she understood not to touch everything the pill bottle incident may not have happened.
I see other toddlers out shopping holding their mum's hand, not touching anything and they are much younger than my child. I need some broad time frame of how long I have to put up with this as I am worried. Are there any ages when children do this? How long on average?
She's generally very energetic. It takes two people to change her nappy and bath her as she plays up. She usually plays at a fast pace for one to one and a half hours before getting tired. This is when she cries and then falls asleep.
Can you give me some advice please?
Many thanks
This incident is part of a bigger problem, which leads to my next question: HOW CAN I STOP HER GRABBING EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME? (Sure pills should not have been there, an extreme example).
I share my bedroom with her and as she can climb out of the cot I have very recently placed her on a mattress on the floor as she's not ready for a toddler bed. I have had to remove my big items -chest of drawers, book shelves etc, but she still: grabs her bedding and my bedding and drags if around the room, grabs pictures of the walls which had to go too, grabs the curtains which I have already pegged up higher, grabs the brown paper I have stuck on the windows for shade, grabs the wedge I placed behind the door for added certainty....I had to get rid of my bedside table and lamp as she kept grabbing at it, and trying to jump on the table. I hide small items of mine in my bed, like XXXXXXX phone, torch, radio, but she finds them and puts them in her mouth...I don't want to say no no no no every moment of the day like a broken record. That's not pleasant for either of us, but I know by removing everything, she's not learning...She used to watch her children's dvds from the safety of her cot through the bars, but I've had to remove the protable dvd player as she would grab it. She used to try to kick it off its stand from the cot. This means I have great difficulty settling her to sleep at night without her favourite dvds for her to focus on...Also, how can I hope to communicate that she can run into her own separate playroom and grab everything as it only contains her toys, but she can't grab everything in the bedroom she shares with me as some are my things, and she's not allowed to touch anything at all in the supermarket. This seems impossible. (I have to keep her in the pram when we go shopping.)
I would like her to be allowed to walk freely around the house, but she's confined to her own play room, the bedroom I share with her and a play pen in the living room because she will grab things, climb furniture and hurt herself.
She is 21 months and otherwise healthy, 13.5kg, very tall, happy temperament, affectionate, once getting to sleep she sleeps well, and eats a broad variety of family food well.. I do not believe this is linked to any major development problems. She can concentrate on her dvds, tv shows well for her age. She tip toes intermittently, but a private podiatrist advised she's too young to intervene. She was saying two words at 10 months of age, but chooses to only babble now. She does however, use her babble to communicate and is quite vocal.
I cannot get in to see a specialist here until the end of this year, I could make good progress with her before then if you could give me some pointers, or do you think she's just too young? GP didn't give me any answers, neither did occupational therapists. I have not found any good books in the library. If she understood not to touch everything the pill bottle incident may not have happened.
I see other toddlers out shopping holding their mum's hand, not touching anything and they are much younger than my child. I need some broad time frame of how long I have to put up with this as I am worried. Are there any ages when children do this? How long on average?
She's generally very energetic. It takes two people to change her nappy and bath her as she plays up. She usually plays at a fast pace for one to one and a half hours before getting tired. This is when she cries and then falls asleep.
Can you give me some advice please?
Many thanks
Brief Answer:
Mother plays an important role in the development of the child
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
I have gone carefully through the things that you have mentioned. Incidentally, the problems are not unique and are in fact faced by numerous parents. Let me mention that children learn by experimentation. Putting in the mouth to get the feel and taste is the first step. So, you cannot simply restrain the child from grabbing things and putting in her mouth. All you can do is to remove anything that could be harmful. You may leave the rest for her to play with. It is important that you spend quality time with her. Play with her in all possible ways. Talk to her involve her in the communication. It is not important whether she understands. She has her own process of analysing what you say and would pick things up from in between. Touch also plays an important role. Gently stroke all the parts of the body, slowly and one at a time, non-repititively. With time, the development with progress. The following link will give you an idea about the time frames for developmental milestones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/YYYY/Child_YYYY_stages
http://en.wikipedia.org/YYYY/Child_YYYY
Hope that helps.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Mother plays an important role in the development of the child
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
I have gone carefully through the things that you have mentioned. Incidentally, the problems are not unique and are in fact faced by numerous parents. Let me mention that children learn by experimentation. Putting in the mouth to get the feel and taste is the first step. So, you cannot simply restrain the child from grabbing things and putting in her mouth. All you can do is to remove anything that could be harmful. You may leave the rest for her to play with. It is important that you spend quality time with her. Play with her in all possible ways. Talk to her involve her in the communication. It is not important whether she understands. She has her own process of analysing what you say and would pick things up from in between. Touch also plays an important role. Gently stroke all the parts of the body, slowly and one at a time, non-repititively. With time, the development with progress. The following link will give you an idea about the time frames for developmental milestones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/YYYY/Child_YYYY_stages
http://en.wikipedia.org/YYYY/Child_YYYY
Hope that helps.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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