Keeping toddlers safe from household poisons

Medical Toxicologist Cyrus Rangan, MD, Poison Control, shares advice for parents on how to prevent your child from coming into contact with poisonous substances in the house
How To Keep Your Toddler Safe From Household Poisons
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Keeping toddlers safe from household poisons

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The most important thing we can do in the home to prevent a child from coming into contact with poisons is to keep things out of reach and out of sight and out of mind. At poison control, we preach this mantra in order to make sure that we understand that it is not just the poisonous or hazardous substance that is the problem. It is also the character, the behavior of the toddler or the child that comes into play as to whether a child may get in contact with the poison. So we want to think about the child´s behavior, the child´s curiosity, the height of the child. All of these aspects come into play in terms of whether or not a child might come into contact with a poison. So think about those kinds of aspects when you think about where am I going to put this house plant, where am I going to store these cleaning products, where am I going to put these medications to make sure that they are indeed out of reach, out of sight and out of mind.

Medical Toxicologist Cyrus Rangan, MD, Poison Control, shares advice for parents on how to prevent your child from coming into contact with poisonous substances in the house

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Cyrus Rangan, MD

Medical Toxicologist, Poison Control

Cyrus Rangan, MD, is a pediatrician and medical toxicologist. Cyrus serves as the Assistant Medical Director with the California Poison Control System and medical toxicology consultant for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Over 70% of the calls received at the center are able to stay at home and avoid a visit to the hospital, based on the over-the-phone support of the center. Cyrus is also the father of two boys, age seven and four, with whom he enjoys practicing Kung Fu. 

Poisons, Poisons, Poison, Poison
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Transcription: 
The most important thing we can do in the home to prevent a child from coming into contact with poisons is to keep things out of reach and out of sight and out of mind. At poison control, we preach this mantra in order to make sure that we understand that it is not just the poisonous or hazardous substance that is the problem. It is also the character, the behavior of the toddler or the child that comes into play as to whether a child may get in contact with the poison. So we want to think about the child´s behavior, the child´s curiosity, the height of the child. All of these aspects come into play in terms of whether or not a child might come into contact with a poison. So think about those kinds of aspects when you think about where am I going to put this house plant, where am I going to store these cleaning products, where am I going to put these medications to make sure that they are indeed out of reach, out of sight and out of mind.