1 Year Old Accidentally Ingests Half A Bottle Of Liniment; Pedia Says, This Is The First Thing You Should Do

What would you do if your one-year-old child ingests harmful substances, like half a bottle of liniment or painkillers?

On December 18, a mom took to the Facebook group Smart Parenting Village to ask for help. "Hi sa mga mommies dito. Sino po recommended [ninyo na] toxicologist sa QC or Antipolo? Aksidenteng nakainom ng kalahating lalagyan ng [liniment brand] yung 1 year old kong anak," Mommy Miko Carmelo wrote.

Her post received hundreds of comments, with most parents telling her to bring her child to the hospital right away. Thankfully, the mom shared an update on her post, saying that they were able to take her child to the emergency room and was cleared from various tests, "This will serve as a lesson for us," she said.

Join the conversation at Smart Parenting Village here.

What to do if your child ingests harmful substances

Smart Parenting sought Mommy Miko Carmelo's permission to share her experience, with the hopes that it could help prevent similar incidents in the future. 

We also sought the advice of Dr. Joey Cuayo Estanislao, a pediatrician and member of the Smart Parenting Board of Experts, on what parents should do when kids ingest harmful substances.

1. Keep calm and act quickly.

In times like these, it's easy to get overwhelmed and anxious because your child's life is at risk. However, Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao emphasizes the importance of quick action and staying calm to be able to gather relevant information, such as the time of ingestion and amount of the substance ingested. 

"The best course of action after an ingestion is to head straight to the ER for evaluation and management. En route (reminder to NOT put off heading to the ER to call; just call while on the way), they can also call the National Poison Management and Control Center for guidance. NPMCC's hotline number is 85241078 or Globe mobile number 09667189904.

She suggests bringing the bottle or container of the substance so they can show the actual source to the medical staff. "Head to the nearest ER (preferably a larger medical center or hospital), and call the hotline while they’re on the road."

"The sooner they can be seen by a medical professional, the better." —Dr. Joey Cuayo-Estanislao

2. Do not induce vomiting.

While it may be a parent's instinct to try to get the poison out of your child, Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao advises otherwise. 

"You should NOT induce vomiting after a [poison] ingestion," she stressed. "First and most important reason is that [vomiting] isn't effective in removing the ingested substance from the stomach. It can even cause the substance to be absorbed into the body more quickly and in larger amounts, since the pressure on the stomach may force the substance to be absorbed into the body," Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao explained.

Inducing vomiting can also place the child at higher risk of aspiration of the vomited matter, she adds, where it enters the lungs and can cause injury there. It can also cause aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection caused by ingested food or liquid entering the lungs.

When a child induces substances such as dishwashing liquids and household cleaners, it can lead to burns in the throat and esophagus. Inducing vomiting increases the risk of burns, as it exposes the affected areas to the toxic substance twice.

"Also, the usual methods of inducing vomiting can cause further distress and injury to the child. So it’s really a big no-no," Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao notes.

3. Watch for immediate symptoms.

It's important to focus on your child and note if they experience any other symptoms like spontaneous vomiting, headache, and stomachache, according to Dr. Cuayo-Estanislao.

Stanford Medicine meanwhile lists these symptoms that should prompt you to go to the nearest hospital immediately:

• Sore throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Drowsiness, irritability, or jumpiness
• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain without fever
• Lip or mouth burns or blisters
• Unusual drooling
• Strange odors on your child's breath
• Unusual stains on your child's clothing

Lesson to parents 

Apart from heeding medical advice, Mommy Miko shared the top three lessons she learned from this experience.

1. Keep away all the harmful things that your child may drink or eat (better to keep your room neat and tidy at all times.
2. Be familiar with the poison control hotline or hospitals near your home.
3. Rush your child to the ER ASAP.

To contact the National Poison Management and Control Center, please directly CALL any of these numbers: 02-85241078 or Globe-09667189904.