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“Child-Proof” and other lies.
“Hey, if a 2 year-old can get the safety cap off a bottle of Tylenol, do you think it’s doing its job?
That was my sister yesterday as we were chatting about life and children, breastfeeding and picky eaters. My niece presenting her mother with a fully opened bottle of acetaminophen tablets briefly interrupted our conversation.
Acetaminophen is a great medication for the treatment of fever and pain in infants and children. When properly dosed. Unlike ibuprofen, which has a pretty wide safety margin, acetaminophen-containing products can quickly land a child in the hospital if taken in overdose. Because of its effects on the liver, a child who has taken more than a standard dose needs to be evaluated quickly and if lab tests indicate so, will require antidote therapy for several days to ensure there is no lasting damage. That means that if a child found with an open bottle of acetaminophen and there is any question as to how much she has consumed requires, at the very least, a phone call to Poison Control.
After a quick look in the bottle and a thorough search of Olivia’s mouth and self, we decided that she hadn’t actually ingested any pills. Plus the child swore she hadn’t. Of course I believe everything a 2 year-old tells me so I felt pretty comfortable not insisting on a trip to the hospital.
However, my sister’s ability to regulate her household medicine cabinet left me less confident. After all, any niece of mine is surely not to be stopped by something so ridiculous as a “child-proof cap.” Even if my sister claims she herself can’t operate them. In the same way that every adult in my house is completely perplexed by the locks on our kitchen cabinets and yet my children seem to have no problem opening the drawers when no one is looking.
It’s an educational project, this child-proofing business. Teaching our kids problem-solving. One more way in which raising children is striking years off my life.
National Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Write it down.
The information herein is not intended to replace the services of trained health professionals, or be a substitute for medical advice. You are advised to consult with your health care professional with regard to matters relating to health, and in particular regarding matters that may require diagnosis or medical attention.
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