Poison and Poisoning - A Compendium of Cases, Catastrophes and Crimes by Kellett Celia

Author:Kellett, Celia [Kellett, Celia]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Accent Press
Published: 2012-08-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The Noxious Nursery

IT IS A SAD and unfortunate fact that every year there are many cases of poisoning of babies and young children, some of which are fatal. Whether accidental or deliberate, every fatality is a tragedy.

Poisoning of babies and children can occur in many ways. For example, they may be given an incorrect dose of medicine for their size and weight. Or, the poisoning may even happen before birth if the mother receives medication that can pass to the unborn child by way of the placenta and umbilical cord. Or, the mother’s medication may pass to a breastfed child in the breast milk. All doctors, midwives and pharmacists have information about the toxicity of specific drugs to the foetus in pregnancy, and to the baby in breastfeeding. However, there are also adverse and allergic reactions which cannot be anticipated. There may even be some poisonings caused by a parent or carer giving a child a noxious substance deliberately.

There are many cases each year of accidental poisoning of children. Most babies put things in their mouths as a way of exploring new objects, and so may eat things they shouldn’t. It is also very likely that small children will mistake tablets, especially the sugar-coated ones, for sweets, or liquid medicines for drinks. Medicines come in all shades of the rainbow, whether liquid or solid, and should be kept locked away, out of sight.

Food intolerances or hypersensitivities can drastically affect growth and development, as already mentioned in the Malfunctioning Metabolism part of Chapter 5, and such problems can be regarded as yet another form of poisoning. Today many children appear to be hyperactive, disruptive and lacking in concentration. But a change of diet has been found to work wonders for some. This change of diet excludes sweets, artificial colourings and refined fatty foods, but includes fish oils (as a source of omega-3 fatty acids), together with fresh fruit and vegetables, and adequate vitamins and minerals. Any food intolerances these children may have also need to be investigated. Any foods a child is intolerant to must also be excluded from that child’s diet, for intolerance is also a form of poisoning. This type of diet has been found to have had a calming effect, and children became far better behaved as a result.

Poisonous treatment

When medical treatment leads to poisoning, there is normally a detailed investigation, with careful consideration of the cause of the problem and then the use of an alternative, safer treatment thereafter. In the past, doses of medicines given to children were usually calculated as a simple fraction of the adult dose. But we now know that this was not the best method, as babies and small children frequently differ greatly from adults in their response to drugs. Because their body systems are immature, they use, break down and excrete drugs at different rates from adults.

Today, paediatric doses are carefully calculated based on the child’s body weight, the estimated body surface area and age. The first edition of the

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