A CBS News report this week says parents are making a dangerous and sometimes fatal mistake in believing that child-resistant prescription bottles are child proof. Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids Worldwide, says there’s an important distinction that parents need to know about, and that child-resistant bottles are really just meant to slow kids down IF they get hold of a medicine bottle, so that a parent or caregiver will have time to intervene.
Mom Sara McClaren knows this reality all too well. Her 2-year-old, Isaac, was recently hospitalized after ingesting medicine, even though it was on a high shelf in a child-resistant bottle.
“Isaac was able to come into the bathroom and climb up and get up to this shelf and then not only did he get onto that shelf, he was able to open up the container and then open up the medicine bottle that has a childproof lid on it in just a couple of moments,” McClaren told “CBS This Morning.”
Safe Kids Worldwide offers the following tips to parents on kids and medicine safety:
- Put all medicine up and away, out of children’s reach (above counter height) and out of sight (such as in a high cabinet). Remember to keep visitors’ purses, bags and coats out of reach as well, as they may contain medicine.
- Remember child-resistant does not mean childproof. Put medicine away immediately after every use, even if you need to take it down again for another dose in a few hours.
- Save the Poison Control help number in your phone: 1-800-222-1222.
Put those medicines OUT OF SIGHT, and keep your kiddos, safe, parents!
That’s the news you need to know this week, mamas. Check back next week for more!