- Suitable for 0-42Months
Medicines that can poison
Most medicines, including vitamin pills and herbal remedies, can harm your baby or child if taken in large enough quantities. Some can kill your baby or child. The safest way to protect children from accidental poisoning with medicine is to lock all medicines in a child-resistant cabinet in a place that's out of reach.
Did you know
You can call the Poisons Information Centre on 131 126 for more information about poisons - 24-hours a day, from anywhere in Australia.
All of these medicines can harm and even kill your child:
- morphine and other strong painkillers
- cough and cold medicines, including children’s formulas
- paracetamol
- antihistamines
- anticonvulsants
- antidepressants
- heart and blood-pressure medication
- nicotine patches and other quit-smoking treatments
- antiseptic lotions and liquids
- sleeping tablets
- herbal medicines
- vitamins, especially iron-fortified tablets
- essential oils, such as eucalyptus and tea tree
- iron tablets
- gout and arthritis medications.
- Rated
0 ratingsRate this item - FeedbackTell us what you think of this item
- Your story Share your parenting tips
- More to explore
- Preventing poisoning
- Household poisons
- Dangerous plants
- Last updated04-05-2006
- Last reviewed04-05-2006
- References
Ashby, K., & Routley, V. (1996). Childhood domestic chemical and plant poisonings. Hazard, 28, 1-16.
Routley, V., Ozanne-Smith, J., & Ashby, K. (1996). Poisonings in early childhood. Hazard, 27, 1-16.
Victorian Injury Surveillance System (1989). Drug safety and poison control. Hazard, 4, 1-9.
