How well are you keeping your hand sanitiser, painkillers and cleaning supplies locked away these days?
According to Children's Health Ireland, the number of children admitted to the emergency departments after accidentally consuming poisons has doubled compared with the same time last year.
Consuming any of these items can cause several health issues, such as liver damage, and can, in severe cases, be lethal, and Children's Health Ireland is now eager to remind parents to keep paracetamol, hand sanitiser and detergents locked away and out of reach of children.
Dr Ciara Martin, a consultant in emergency medicine with the group, spoke to the
Irish Examiner and said it is alarming to see a rise in poison cases.
"The numbers of children attending emergency departments is down even though our emergency departments are open," said Dr Martin.
"But what we have noticed is those children in the categories of accidental ingestion of poisons that is double what it was for these weeks last year."
Martin appeals to parents all across Ireland to check and check again that you have locked away anything that can pose a poisoning risk to children.
"Just put things like hand gel, medicines, hand sanitisers, Calpol, paracetamol, Nurofen - anything like that that you have - put them out of reach."
