According to Dr. Pham Dinh Tuan - Department of Pediatrics, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, in recent years, the number of children hospitalized for chemical poisoning has tended to increase. The reason is often that children play with toys containing chemicals without washing their hands, accidentally putting them in their mouths. The response to the poisoning depends on the type of chemical, the contact content and the child's physical condition.
For example, in the case of mistakenly thinking that the bottle of water mixed with welded chemicals that the sister bought to make slime toys was soft drinks, the 11-year-old girl took it and drank it, leading to poisoning and had to be given emergency care.
The child was admitted to the hospital in a state of alertness, a red throat, and little abdominal pain. After performing tests and imaging diagnosis, the doctor ordered an emergency stomach washing and IV fluid to quickly eliminate the poison from the body.
Doctor Tuan recommends that parents need to carefully check the origin of toys, especially products that require homemade brewing. Monitor when your child plays slime, limit playing time, do not let children get bored or eat toys. In addition, choose to buy products or ingredients to make slime of clear origin, with clear notes on ingredients and irritation.
Parents need to pay attention to keeping chemicals in a safe place, away from children. Highly toxic substances such as paint solvents and insect repellent chemicals need to be kept in separate boxes with locks, not allowed for children to take them. Absolutely do not contain chemicals in familiar bottles, which can easily confuse drinking water. Do not store strong chemicals used in industry or domestic production with young children.
Adults need to learn about the effects, uses, toxicity and prevention measures for poisoning household chemicals. At the same time, educate children about poison prevention, instruct and instruct them on how to use soaps and shampoos.
In case of an unfortunate accident, it is necessary to treat the child by constantly washing the wound with the nearest available clean water. Let your child rinse their mouths with diluted salt water, rinse their mouths to avoid spreading damage. If the older child accidentally drinks a non-burning chemical and is still alert, they can drink warm salt water to make them vomit. After that, it is necessary to quickly take the child to a medical facility for treatment.
Parents need to bring product labels and chemicals if any to provide information to the doctor. At the same time, continuously monitor the child's behavior on the way to the hospital and immediately report to the doctor if there are any unusual signs. Avoid feeding or drinking anything extra, including milk or water, unless otherwise directed by health.
Signs of childhood toxic chemicals include coughing, nausea, abdominal pain, sore throat, Chemical breathing, purple, fatigue, rapid breathing, impaired consciousness, coma. Exposure to strong acid can cause serious skin burns.
