Chemical Poisoning:
Take Steps to Ensure
Your Child's Safety

Chemical poisoning is very serious and requires fast action to remedy the situation. Without even trying, you most likely have dangerous household chemicals in your home. We all do.

Any cleaning product, detergent, paint thinner…the list goes on and on.

But, it's unrealistic to live without chemicals in your home. It's just not going to happen. So, the best thing to do is be as safe as possible with the chemicals you do have in your house.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these are the steps you should take if you or your child has chemical poisoning from a household chemical product.

Rinse out her eyes either in the shower or under a faucet for 15-20 minutes. Then call the poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or 911.

What if a chemical has gotten onto my child’s skin?

Take off any chemical wet clothing and rinse his skin for 15-20 minutes in the shower or under the faucet. Then call the poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or 911.

What if my child drinks one of our household chemicals?

Give them half a glass of water. Then call the poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or 911.

What if my child has swallowed something that might be poisonous?

Try to get the rest of whatever your baby has swallowed out of his mouth or out of his hand. Try to make him spit out whatever is in his mouth.

**Don’t make your baby throw-up. If he has swallowed something like toilet bowl cleaners or oven or drain cleaners, his throwing-up could bring the burning poison up to his mouth and throat again.**

Call the poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or 911.

What if my child has inhaled chemical fumes or poisonous gas?

Get your child out into fresh air immediately. Do not inhale the fumes yourself.

Open all the doors and windows to your home to allow fresh air to come in. Then call the poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or 911.

What if my child has stopped breathing or won’t wake up?

Call 911 and get her to a hospital immediately.

What will I need to tell the poison control center or 911?

Poison control and 911 will need to know information about your child including weight, medications he is taking, and medical conditions he may have.

They will also need to know about the chemical he has been poisoned by. Have the containers with you, if possible, so poison control can see the ingredients. They may ask for you to list the ingredients over the phone.

If your child has swallowed part of a poisonous house plant, be sure you can describe the plant and what part of it your child ate.

If your child has swallowed medicine, keep the bottle and count how many your baby took, if you can, by eliminating the number you have already used from the bottle.

Should I be concerned about lead poisoning?

If your home or any home your child is in was built before 1980, yes…you will have to be concerned about lead poisoning. Ingesting lead paint chips, for example, or inhaling lead dust are the most common ways children get lead poisoning.

Also, many children's toys are made of lead, like necklaces, etc. Click here for more information on child toy safety.

What if my child has carbon monoxide poisoning?

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of deaths in terms of accidental poisoning. Your children will show signs of this poisoning earlier than you will.

Click here to learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms.

Make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors properly installed in your home.

Once you've taken the precautions outlined on our chemical safety page, hopefully, you won't need this information on what to do about chemical poisoning. But, it's still good to print this page out and always keep the poison control center's number (1-800-222-1222)by your phone.

Click here for more information on chemical safety and a list of chemicals you might have in your household.

Related Articles

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Chemical Safety

Poisonous House Plants

Toy Safety


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