19/04/2026
Every year, thousands of infants need medical care for poisoning from products commonly found in and around the home.
Items such as cleaning products, cosmetics, medicines, alcohol and gardening products.
If you are planning some spring cleaning in your home over the coming weeks, make sure you keep products in a secure location, in high cupboards or locked storage so that little hands can’t access easily. Also be careful when you are in the middle of cleaning, that you don’t leave the cleaning product sitting anywhere that could be reached by your child.
Poisoning can happen after swallowing, touching, or breathing in a harmful substance.
Symptoms may take a few hours or days to start, so it's important to get medical advice quickly if there's a chance you or someone else could have poisoning.
*Symptoms of poisoning can depend on what caused it, and may include:
Feeling sick or being sick
Diarrhoea
Feeling sleepy
Blurred vision
High temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
Confusion
Difficulty breathing
Seizures (fits)
Loss of consciousness
If you suspect your child might have swallowed something toxic:
⚠️Get medical help immediately, call 111 or 999
⚠️Don’t let your child drink anything
⚠️Don’t make your child sick
⚠️If you know what they have swallowed, try to take a sample to hospital
⚠️Residual chemicals on the skin should be rinsed with plenty of water
For lots more advice, check the Mini First Aid blog https://www.minifirstaid.co.uk/blog/home-safety-starts-here 💚
*Source: NHS
