Unintentional pediatric poisoning deaths of children under the age of 5 increased 66% to 98 from 2021. This increase was largely linked to narcotics and psychodysleptics. Deaths in this category nearly doubled in one year, from 33 in 2021 to 59 in 2022.
This National Poison Prevention Week (March 17-23, 2024) marks 62 years since the first national observation. There is growing risks associated with these substances, with pediatric poisoning deaths in the U.S. rising steadily since 2019 from a low of 17 deaths in 2018; the lowest since CPSC was created in 1972.
Additionally, there were an estimated 68,600 emergency department-treated injuries in children under 5 in 2022, a nearly 10% increase from the estimated 62,600 injuries in 2021.
Nearly seven out of 10 poisonings occurred in the home. CPSC encourages family members and caregivers to identify hazards in the home that could be a poisoning danger and keep them out of a child’s sight and reach.
Safety tips for parents and caregivers:
Drugs or Medications
- Keep medications safely stored in a locked cabinet or box and out of the reach of children.
- Keep medicines in their original child-resistant containers and never in unsecured containers.
- Properly discard unfinished or unused medicines.
Laundry Packets
- Store laundry packets in their original containers and out of a child’s sight and reach.
- Do not let children handle laundry detergent packets.
Household Cleaning Supplies
- Keep chemicals and cleaning supplies safely stored in a locked cabinet or box and out of the reach of children.
- Keep household chemicals in their original child-resistant containers.
Button Cell or Coin Batteries
- Keep products with accessible batteries away from children if the battery compartments do not have a screw closure or if the compartment is damaged.
- Check the toys in your home to make sure battery compartments are secured.
- Do not allow children to play with or be in contact with button cell or coin batteries.
