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Read on to find out about topics that may affect your family this month: Gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) Poison safety Gastroenteritis Management at Home
Gatroenteritis is diarrhea with a sudden onset in which nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever may also occur. Children with gastroenteritis can be treated at home by following these guidelines: 1. Signs of dehydration: dry mouth, no tears, fewer than normal wet diapers, tiredness or decreased activity, and irritability. 2. Oral rehydration is the preferred method of treating dehydration due to gastroenteritis - Start with clear liquids such as pedialyte or kaoelectrolyte. Sport drinks and fruit juices do not contain the necessary electrolytes to correct dehydration and should be avoided. If your child is vomiting, you may need to give fluids by the teaspoonful every few minutes. - Nursing mothers may continue to breast-feed and supplement with clear liquids as necessary - Formula fed infants should stop taking formula and solid foods and take clear liquids ever9 three to four hours. - Older children should also stop taking solid foods and take only clear liquids if they show signs of dehydration. If they are not dehydrated, they may continue age-appropriate diets. 3. Continue these clear liquids until the diarrhea starts to resolve and the child is rehydrated. - Then start half strength formula in infants for 12 to 24 hours, then go to full strength and restart solid foods. - Older children should be fed a diet consisting of complex carbohydrates (rice, wheat, potatoes, breads, and cereal), lean meats, yogurt, fruits and vegetables. Fatty foods or high sugar foods should be avoided. 4. Good handwashing is a must to prevent the spread of the diarrhea, especially after diaper changes and before feeding. 5. Medication to stop the diarrhea should not be used in children. 6. Call your pediatrician if the diarrhea increases in frequency or amount, does not improve after 24 hours, has not resolved in three to four days, or if the stool contains blood.
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION POISON LOOKOUT CHECKLIST The home areas listed below are the most common sites of accidental poisonings. Follow this checklist to learn how to correct situations that may lead to poisonings. If you answer "No' to any questions, fix the situation quickly. Your goal is to have all your answers "Yes.' THE child-resistant caps? Products like furniture polishes, drain cleaners and some oven cleaners should have safety packaging to keep little children from accidentally opening the packages. [] [] 2. Are all potentially harmful products in their original containers? There are two dangers if products aren't stored in their original containers. Labels on the original containers often give first aid information if someone should swallow the product. And if products are stored in containers like drinking glasses or pop bottles, [] [] someone may think it is food and swallow it. 3. Are harmful products stored away from food? If harmful products are placed next to food, someone may accidentally get a food and a poison mixed up and swallow the poison. [] [] up high and out of reach of children? The best way to prevent poisoning is making sure that it's impossible to find and get at the poisons. Locking all cabinets that hold dangerous products is the best poison prevention. THE poison if used improperly? Many children are poisoned each year by overdoses of aspirin. If aspirin can poison, just think of how many other poisons might be in your medicine cabinet. [] [] 2. Do your aspirins and other potentially harmful products have child-resistant closures? Aspirins and most prescription drugs come with child- resistant caps. Check to see yours have them, and that they are properly secured. Check your prescriptions before leaving the pharmacy to make sure the medicines are in child-resistant packaging. These caps have been shown to save the lives of children. [] [] 3. Have you thrown out all out-of-date prescriptions? As medicines get older, the chemicals inside them can change. So what was once a good medicine may now be a dangerous poison. Flush all old drugs down the toilet. Rinse the container well, then discard it. [] [] 4. Are all medicines in their original containers with the original labels? Prescription medicines may or may not list ingredients. The prescription number on the label will, however, allow rapid identification by the pharmacist of the ingredients should they not be listed. Without the original label and container, you can't be sure of what you're taking. After all, aspirin looks a lot like poisonous roach tablets. [] [] 5. If your vitamins or vitamin/mineral supplements contain iron, are they in child-resistant packaging? Most people think of vitamins and minerals as foods and, therefore, nontoxic, but a few iron pills can kill a child. [] [] THE GARAGE storage area that can be swallowed are terrible poisons? Death may occur when people swallow such everyday substances as charcoal lighter, paint thinner and remover, antifreeze and turpentine. [] [] 2. Do all these poisons have child-resistant caps? [] [] 3. Are they stored in the original containers? [] [] 4. Are the original labels on the containers? 5. Have you made sure that no poisons are stored [] [] in drinking glasses or pop bottles? [] [] 6. Are all these harmful products locked up and out of sight and reach? [] []
When all your answers are ayes, ~ then continue this level of poison protection by making sure that, whenever you buy potentially harmful products, they have child-resistant closures and are kept out of sight and reach. Post the number of the Poison Control Center near your telephone |
