Prescription Drug Poisonings Up in Children

June 3, 2013 News Review From Harvard Medical School -- Prescription Drug Poisonings Up in ChildrenMore U.S. adults are taking prescription drugs. And more children are being poisoned when they swallow those medicines, a new study finds. About 70,000 children go to hospital emergency rooms each year because of exposure to medicines. Visits increased 30% between 2001 and 2008. The new study used information from a database of U.S. poison control centers. Researchers focused on child poisonings or other exposures involving four types of common adult medicines. Two of the categories were medicines that treat diabetes and lower cholesterol. The other two types were beta-blockers to lower blood pressure and opioids to reduce pain. More children were exposed to the medicines as prescriptions increased. Children under age 6 accounted for more than two-thirds of all cases. Diabetes drugs and beta-blockers were the medicines most likely to result in an ER visit. Diabetes drugs and opioids caused the most serious illnesses. Children who swallowed these medicines were the most likely to require a hospital stay. The journal Pediatrics published the study online. USA Today and HealthDay News wrote about it June 3.By Henry H. Bernstein, D.O.Harvard Medical SchoolWhat Is the Doctor's Reaction?Some dangers to children in the home are easy to see. For example, it is not hard to see how a child could get hurt if he fell down the stairs. Other safety threats are less clear. The most dangerous place in your home for a child may be the medicine cabinet.Each year, more than 70,000 children are seen in the emergency room because they took a medicine that was not meant for them.In a new study, researchers looked at the number of children poisoned by four common types of adult medicines. Adult use of these medicines has increased. Researchers wondered if that trend is linked to more child poisonings.The journal Pediatrics published the study. It focused on these everyday adult medicines:

• Diabetes drugs, used to keep the body's sugar in balance
• Drugs that lower cholesterol
• Beta-blockers, used to keep blood pressure under control
• Opioids, used to relieve pain

The researchers looked at how many adults were prescribed these medicines between 2000 and 2009. They compared this with the number of poisonings in children during that same 10-year period.As more of these kinds of medicines were prescribed to adults, more children were poisoned.

• Poisonings were most common in children under age 6.
• Emergency room visits for poisonings were highest for the cholesterol-lowering drugs and beta-blockers.
• Serious injuries and hospital stays occurred most often with the opioids and diabetes drugs.

The authors point out the value in thinking about children's ages as they relate poisonings. Among children less than 6 years old, poisonings usually are by accident. In contrast, teenagers tend to take medicines on purpose. They may want to hurt themselves or use drugs to get high.Along these same lines, another report gained a lot of attention last week. Medical marijuana is often baked into yummy candies, cookies and other treats. These are very appealing to young children. It appears that as more adults are prescribed medical marijuana, more children are getting sick from accidentally eating food that contains marijuana. The journal JAMA Pediatrics published the study. What Changes Can I Make Now?Keep all medicine bottles away from your children. They should be out of reach and out of sight! Be sure to remind family and friends to keep their medicines locked up, too. Doctors can share specific ideas on how to prevent medicine exposures and poisonings based on your child's age.Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to keep your children safe:

• Store medicines in a medicine cabinet that is locked or out of reach.
• If you carry a purse, do not keep medicines (or other potential poisons) in it.
• Keep your child away from other people's purses.
• Buy and keep medicines in their own containers with child safety caps.
• Put the child safety cap on medicine containers completely after each use.
• Never put medicines in containers that were once used for food, such as empty drink bottles, cans or cups.
• Remember that child resistant does not mean childproof! It only means that it takes longer for your child to get into it.
• Do not rely on packaging alone to protect your child. Always stay alert and be aware.
• Do not take medicine in front of small children. They may try to imitate you later.
• Never tell a child that any medicine is candy.

Medicines are not the only things in your house that could poison children. Be sure to keep cleaning chemicals, antifreeze and even makeup away from children as well. Check our 'Childproofing Your Home' online tool for more advice on protecting your children at home.One of the newest dangers we are learning more about occurs when someone in your family is prescribed medical marijuana. So be extra careful. Be sure to keep marijuana, and the foods that contain it, away from your children. Eighteen states and Washington, D.C., allow medical marijuana. Last year, Colorado and Washington state even made it legal for adults to have small amounts of nonmedical marijuana. What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?The number of adult prescription medicines is likely to continue going up. Therefore, we can expect medicine exposures and poisonings in children to go up also.Efforts must continue to improve the containers holding medicines so they are not easy for young children to open. Some medicines may need changes in packaging to be safer.Doctors should highlight the importance of properly storing all drugs in a medicine cabinet. Prevention strategies and educational programs must continue. They should remind the public that exposures vary by the age and intent of the child, as well as the specific medicine.