Citizens Memorial Hospital | Vitality | Spring 2021

How to safely give medicines to children When your child needs medicine, be sure to give the right amount. Children can be harmed when parents or other caregivers give too much, or even too little, medicine. Many dosing errors are related to giving liquid medicines. To help prevent these mistakes: ● Always read the medicine label’s instructions. ● Use the oral syringe or dosing cup that comes with the medicine. This will allow you to give the precise amount of medicine, measured in milliliters (mL). If you don’t have one of these devices, ask your doctor for one or get one at a drugstore. ● Never use a kitchen spoon to give medicine. Household spoons vary considerably in shape and size. Using one could result in an inaccurate dose. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Out of sight, out of reach Learn the top tips for keeping meds away from kids Kids are naturally curious. And medicines—especially to a child who thinks they’re candy—can be a curiosity too tempting to ignore. It’s a potentially dangerous mix. And it helps explain why every year tens of thousands of children end up in U.S. emergency departments after finding and swallowing medicines. FOLLOWTHESE SAFETY RULES If you have small children in your home—as household members or guests—take steps to keep medicines out of kids’ hands: Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Space heaters need space For safety’s sake, place space heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can catch on fire. That includes clothes, curtains, furniture and paper. Consumer Product Safety Commission Store in a secure location. Keep your medicines (including vitamins and supplements) where kids can’t reach or even see them. Do this at home and when you travel. A high cabinet or shelf is a safer place to store medicines. Unsafe places include purses, bathroom counters and nightstands. If you have questions about how to safely store medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Make it a habit. Get in the habit of immediately putting a medicine back in a safe storage area each time you take it out. It only takes a minute for a child to find and swallow a medicine left on a counter or bedside table. Double-check the cap. Before you put medicine away, make sure the safety cap on the bottle is relocked. Remember: Safety caps may not always deter kids, so you still need to put the medicine up and away—even when you’re sure the cap is relocked. Remind your guests. When friends and family come to visit, provide a place for them to safely store their medicines. 1 2 3 4 CHILDREN’S HEALTH citizensmemorial.com 5