Beware of the three main sources of poisoning in children

From 4 months, children begin to explore their environment. During this discovery phase, they are likely to put all objects within reach into their mouths, including harmful substances. Thus, domestic accidents due to poisoning are not rare among children under 6 years old, warns the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) in its new report covering the 2014 period. -2020. Some may have led, for the most serious ones, to hospitalization or even death of the child, according to data recorded by the Poison Control Centers (CAP), visits to the emergency room of the Oscour network managed by Santé Publique France and data hospitalization and death. “Most of these accidents are, however, avoidable, provided you adopt the right reflexes,” warns Dr Sandra Sinno-Tellier, deputy director of health alerts and surveillance at Anses.

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At the top of the most frequent poisonings: household products, including liquid laundry detergent pods. Unlike their solid counterparts, these products feature “flashy” shapes and colors for little ones. However, they contain toxic substances which cause digestive symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. If misused, they can also lead to suffocation and, unlike traditional laundry detergent, they can cause eye splashes. Although poisoning by pipe unblocking products is less frequent, it remains just as serious because these products can cause serious burns to the mouth and esophagus.

More generally, between 2014 and 2022, 30% of calls to poison control centers were attributable to exposure to cleaning products which caused 22% of cases of serious poisoning in children under 6 years old, and 4 deaths recorded at the Center of epidemiology on medical causes of death (CépiDc). “Despite a halving of these poisonings over the study period, in particular thanks to the compulsory European measures taken from 2015, these poisonings remain the most numerous,” recalls Dr Sinno-Tellier.

Coming in second place is the ingestion of medications, responsible for 34% of the most serious poisonings and 16% of calls to poison control centers between 2014 and 2020. The contents of the medicine cabinet were involved, including 6 of the 10 deaths observed by the CAP and 7 of the 23 deaths observed by the CépiDc. Generally speaking, these accidents are more frequent in winter, due to seasonal epidemics (flu, colds, etc.). Among the treatments incriminated were ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol as well as medications for the nervous system (antidepressants, anxiolytics, etc.) and cardiovascular pathologies.

As for carbon monoxide poisoning, it remains the leading cause of hospitalization and admission to intensive care among children under 6 years old. Of the reported accidents, nine resulted in death. Exposure of young people mainly results from failures of heating installations. “The toxic gas released is dangerous because it is non-irritating, colorless and odorless and can cause drowsiness or unusual behavior in children who cry or refuse to eat,” describes Sandra Sinno-Tellier.

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In addition to these three categories, the increase in frequency, but also in severity, of cannabis poisoning is at the heart of concerns: in 2020, this substance was the cause of 11% of intensive care admissions among children under 6 years old, i.e. twice as much as in 2014 (5%). These poisonings occur by two routes: inhalation of smoke and ingestion of resin pellets found by the child, causing various symptoms such as drowsiness, impaired consciousness or even a coma requiring respiratory assistance.

Other events, among the most dramatic, have also involved the ingestion of objects such as button batteries, causing erosion of the esophagus and more rarely hemorrhages, or even bullets. water sold in dehydrated form, for decorative purposes or for play. “These marbles are in theory prohibited as toys for children under three years old. The problem is that they are often the cause of delayed poisoning: by swelling in the digestive tract, they can end up blocking it or causing obstructions,” says Dr Sinno-Tellier.

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However, most of these poisonings are preventable. The authorities remind you that it is essential to put dangerous objects out of the child's reach. Maintenance products must be stored up high or in closed cupboards, remembering to replace the safety cap after each use. “Moreover, unpackaging products, that is to say transferring them from the original bottle to plastic water bottles for example, is not recommended to avoid any risk of confusion,” recalls Sandra Sinno-Tellier.

The same principle applies to medicines: they should be kept away from little ones and, preferably, stored in different cupboards to distinguish those intended for adults and children. Also beware of the bad habit of taking tablets out of their packaging just before use, for example by placing them next to a glass of water on the table. These tablets are never safe from wandering hands…

Finally, avoiding contact with a loved one when consuming cannabis and having heating installations regularly inspected, ideally once a year, helps prevent the risk of poisoning through smoke and/or gas inhalation. “We must avoid using improvised heating systems such as braziers and generators which are lesser known but significant sources of carbon monoxide poisoning,” warns Sandra Sinno-Tellier.