The New York City health
department report said the city's Poison Control Center received nearly
70,000 calls in 2007, with 35 percent of the calls for children under
the age of 5.
Ninety percent of the poisonings take place at
home with cosmetics, hand soap and shampoo topping the list of
poisoners for children resulting in 2,228 calls.
Household
cleaners like bleach -- which can be deadly -- came in second with
1,759 calls and swallowing "foreign bodies" -- like the silica packets
tucked into products like shoes -- was third with 1,601 calls.
Other
poisoners of children were topical diaper rash cream and petroleum
jelly, over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen,
pesticides and rodenticides, vitamins; cough syrup and cold medicine,
arts and crafts supplies such as crayons and glue, and liquid
prescription medication such as antibiotics.
"Common household
products can be dangerous to children," Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, health
commissioner for New York City, said in a statement. "Make sure you
keep cleaners, medicines, and cosmetics out of the reach of children
and locked in cabinets, whenever possible."
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