Toddlers poisoning

Ochoa ER, Farrar HC, Shirm SW. Lithium poisoning in a toddler with fever and altered consciousness. Case presentation and discussion. J Invest Med 2000 48 612. 

Melian AM, Burillo-Putze G, Campo CD, Padron AG, Ramos CO. Accidental ecstasy poisoning in a toddler. Pediatr Emerg Care 2004 20(8) 534-5. 

Baer E, Reith DM. Acetazolamide poisoning in a toddler. J Paediatr Child Health 2001 37(4) 411-12. 

The number of young children who have accidentally swallowed iron has more than doubled since 1986, since when more than 110 000 children under 6 years who accidentally swallowed iron tablets were reported to poison control centers. Many of the children were hospitalized and at least 33 died. The children who died had swallowed as few as five to as many as 98 tablets. In some cases, toddlers found tablets within their reach in uncapped or loosely capped containers. In other cases a young child managed to open a container. In 1995 the number of cases of unintended ingestion of iron by children was estimated at some 22 000 in the USA alone (51). Acute toxicity is associated with free radical formation. Emetics, gastric lavage, and even surgery may be called for to remove the excess. 

Rick Nevin believes that lead poisoning accounts for much of the violent crime in the United States (Washington Post, July 8,2007). Exposure to lead as a child correlates with violent behavior later in life, according to studies of the association between lead poisoning and crime rates in nine different countries. Sixty-five to ninety percent or more of the substantial variation in violent crime in all these countries is explained by lead. Lead in US. paint and gasoline fumes has exposed toddlers to lead toxicity because they put their contaminated hands in their mouths. He believes that lead toxicity is not the only factor leading to crime, but is a big factor. 

References Keren G Medications which can kill a toddler with one teaspoon or tablet. Clin 7bx/co/1993 31(3) 407 Osterhoudt K roxta//r 1997 8(7) and LItovltzT, Manoguerra A Comparison of pediatric poisoning hazards an analysis of 3.8 miiiion exposure incidents. Ped/af/ves 1992 89(6) 999. 

Garrison, J. 2000. Two Toddlers Died from Oleander Poisoning, Coroner Says. Los Angeles Times July 26, 2000. 

Environmental lead poisoning is still considered to be the principal environmental health threat to preschool children in industrialized countries, particularly for American infants and toddlers. A second risk population equally vulnerable to lead exposure and associated toxicity is the fetus, arising from maternal lead exposure and ready transplacental movement of lead from early in gestation until birth. The categorical and quantitative criteria by which we can establish this premier hazard ranking for lead in the world of environmental health are presented in later chapters. 

Lead in paint has long been recognized as an environmental source that provides the most serious levels of lead exposure for human risk populations and associated lead poisoning (see Chapters 7 and 8). Children are at particular risk, especially infants and toddlers. The severity of lead paint poisoning differs geographically around the globe and geographically within the United States, the country most severely impacted by production, sale, and use of... 

The acceptable risk of cancer from exposure to ambient air pollutants is usually considered to be 1/1,000,000 persons. The risk of cancer at Superfund sites is usually limited to 1/10,000. However, the risk of cancer from pollutants in air and dust in the home may exceed 1/1,000. The lead risks from soil at Superfund sites is set (500 ppm Pb) so that fewer than 1 in 20 children will have lead poisoning, but the average lead concentration in house dust in older homes may exceed 1000 ppm, and 1 toddler in 11 has lead poisoning. At least 1 person in 5 has allergies and asthma related to exposures to allergens in the home. 

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