Child Poisoning Facts & Statistics
Child poisoning fact #1: Across the United States, around 800,000 kids are rushed to the emergency room each year because of accidental poisoning. Of these, around 30 children will die, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Child poisoning fact #2: Around 70% of non-fatal poisonings involve children ages 1 to 2.
Child poisoning fact #3: Overall, around 24 million people call poison control centers every year. Although most of these accidental poisonings do not turn out to be serious, it illustrates just how common accidental poisonings in kids actually are.
Child poisoning fact #4: 280,000 people called poison control centers in 2005 related to pain medications. Many of these occur when kids ingest their grandparent’s medications, which are often removed from their childproof containers and carried around in a purse or in daily pill dispensers.
Child poisoning fact #5: Around 100,000 children end up in the E.R. each year after ingesting medication belonging to grandparents, and such cases of exposure to medicine through grandparents account for as many as 10-20% of all accidental medication poisonings.
Child poisoning fact #6: Certain heart and pain medications are so potent that a single pill is capable of killing a small child.
Child poisoning fact #7: Newer medications such as painkillers that contain sustained release packets are especially dangerous, because they contain a much higher amount of medicine per pill. Children often bite into them, which releases all the medication at once.
Child poisoning fact #8: Every year around 12,000 kids under the age of five are treated in emergency rooms for exposure to household cleaning products. Of those injured, around 6% face a life-threatening situation or suffer long-term disabilities from their poisoning.