Reduce Your Child's Chances
of Pesticide Poisoning
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You turn your
DGQQ and your toddler is
inserting a sandwich half into the
DVD player. Mostly, we're lucky;
our momentary slipups as parents
aren't too harmful. However, some
close calls can be scarylike
catching your three-year-old
holding a can of bug spray.
Most people aren't aware that
household pesticides, the products
we use in and around our homes
to kill ants, germs, cockroaches,
flies, mice, rats, and termites, can
harm a child's health if stored or
used improperly.
Each year thousands of children
under the age of six are poisoned
by common household pesticide
products. Many parents still store
pesticide products within the reach
of children. One of the simplest
ways of preventing pesticide
poisoning is to store household
products out of a child's reach.
Accidents are bound to
happen in life, but we can't
depend solely on good
fortune to protect our kids
from harm's way. Play it safe.
With some simple prevention
steps, you can assure a safe
and healthy home for your
family despite life's unpredictable
moments.
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How do children come in
contact with pesticides?
Children can come into contact with pesticides stored or applied in
their homes, yards, day-cares, schools, parks, or on pets.
Children often touch things (that may contain a pesticide) and put
their hands in their mouths. They also crawl and play on floors,
grass, or in spaces that might contain pesticides. These activities
may put them at higher risks for poisoning. Contact with pesticides
may cause serious harm to a child's health.
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How do you know if
your child has been
poisoned?
The signs of pesticide poisoning may look like the flu. If your child
shows any of the following signs after coming in contact with a
pesticide, call your poison control center right away.
Headaches,
Dizziness,
Muscle twitching,
Weakness, and
Tingling.
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Read the label first.
Follow the directions
as they are written
on the label before
using a product.
How can I make sure that my child
Use these tips to help you poison-proof your
Use child-resistant
packaging correctly
by tightly sealing
the container offer
Crawl around
on your hands
and knees to
see if you've
missed any
potential
dangers from
your child's
viewpoint.
Install safety
latches on
cabinets.
Re-close a pesticide
package if ever interrupted
during application (e.g.,
phone call, doorbell, etc.).
Make sure the container is
completely out of
children's reach while
you're absent.
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doesn't get poisoned?
home:
Keep
pesticides
in their
original
containers.
Never put
poisonous products
in containers that
could be mistaken
for juice or food.
Alert all
caregh/ers
about the
potential
dangers of
pesticides and
share these
tips with them
Teach children
that "pesticides
are poisons" and
not to be touched
Post the
Poison Control Centers'
national hotline
phone number,
1-800-222-1222,
near every telephone in
your home.
Lock up all pesticides
and harmful products
in a cabinet, out of a
child's reach.
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency (7506 P)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use S300
EPA 735-K-07-003
July 2007
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