Each year over 2 million reported cases of accidental poisoning are registered in the United States. Over half of these poisonings are in children under the age of 5 and 1 in 10 results in death. Since most of these events are preventable with careful planning, it should be a primary goal in the education of new parents. Here are some basic principles of prevention and management that should be reiterated for all of us.

Prevention is key. Know what exactly is in your home - be sure all products have intact labels and NEVER put a substance into a bottle that is labeled as something else.

Label all plants with their botanical and everyday names as many are poisonous (Dieffenbachia or dumb-cane, philodendron, and poinsettia, to name a few). Place them out of easy reach of your children.

Check Recall Products lists - products such as children's toys may have been found to be painted with toxic substances and should be removed from your home.

Check the pottery glazes on plates, etc especially foreign made, as lead is often a toxic ingredient.

Keep all medication, vitamins, supplements, cleaning fluids, dyes, soaps, and beauty care items out of reach of children. Use childproof latches and locks.

Keep the local POISON CONTROL and nearest emergency room numbers prominently posted as well as your address and phone number, child's date of birth and most recent weight. Be sure sitters know where this information is.

Save any and all remnants of ingested substances - even minimal powder or liquid residues can be used to identify the poison and lead to life saving treatment decisions.

Note the time of ingestion and call for help IMMEDIATELY! Time may be a decisive factor in outcome. Bring all household medications along to the hospital if you are not sure what was ingested. A stray tablet could be the culprit.

Discard all old medicines with extreme care.

The immediate approach to the child who has ingested an unknown substance or known toxin is to follow the basics of Life Support: carefully and quickly evaluate, in this order, Airway, Breathing, and Circulation (the ABC's of life support). If your child is having difficulty breathing and may have an obstructing object in his throat, attempt to clear it by turning your child over on your lap and whacking firmly between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Provide whatever air you can, either by breathing into your child's mouth or nose, until emergency help arrives. Learn the techniques of CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) and take periodic refresher courses.

If your child has just ingested a potential poison and is still alert you may give 1-2 tablespoons of Syrup of Ipecac provided the substance was not an acid or lye. Follow the Ipecac with a large quantity of water. Keep your child tilted to the left with the head down to decrease the chances of choking on the vomit. Save the vomit if you are unsure what the substance was as it can be analyzed later. Syrup of Ipecac is a "must have" in every home and will induce vomiting in over 95% of cases in children under age 5. Get to an emergency facility as soon as possible and do not wait for a call back from your physician or friends. Call 911 immediately.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE in determining outcome in most cases of childhood poisonings.

PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS ARE KEY.