- The ARC - California Edition -

Food for Preventive Thought

Keep All Poison Away From Children
Our homes abound with poisonous substances: household cleaners, laundry detergent, bug killers, antifreeze, and windshield wiper fluid, cosmetics, medicines, even dietary supplements, especially those with iron. To protect kids from these and other poisons:

-- Lock poisonous substances in cabinets with childproof safety latches. These kinds of latches are available in hardware stores.

-- Never leave a poisonous substance, even for one moment, in a place where children can reach it. Return poisonous substances to their safe place immediately after using.

-- Buy products with child-resistant caps.

This ad was sponsored by the Poison Prevention Week Council, P.O. Box 1543, Washington, DC, 20013.

Prevention and Management (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
Research has shown that even small levels of alcohol consumed during pregnancy may affect the fetus in damaging ways. Alcohol related birth defects are very common, occurring in about 1 percent of live births, yes, one out of every one-hundred babies.

Coming on September 25-27, 1997 in Breckenridge, Colorado, will be a conference that will provide a forum concerning the prevention and management of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and prenatal substance abuse. The conference will contain 6 tracks.

1. Intervention with High Risk Women.
2. Working with the FAS/FAE Affected Child.
3. Public Health and Epidemiology.
4. Clinical and Research Issues.
5. Policy and Legal Issues.
6. Community Issues and Prevention Programs.

For information about this conference, mail or fax to the Conference Office, 2121 S. Oneida Street, Suite 325, Denver, CO., 80224, Fax 303-759-8861.

Rule to Protect Children From Iron Poisoning
Efforts to protect children from accidental iron poisoning are getting a boost from a new FDA rule.

Beginning July 15, labels on all drugs and dietary supplements that contain iron or iron salts will have to display prominently and conspicuously this boxed warning:

"Warning: Accidental overdose of iron- containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under six. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately."

In addition, products containing 30 milligrams (mg) or more of iron per dosage unit, such as most iron pills for pregnant women, will have to be packaged as individual doses - for example, in blister packages.

This is to limit the number of pills or capsules a small child could accidentally consume once the package is opened.

Accidental overdose of iron pills is a leading cause of poisoning deaths among young children.

Since 1986, more than 110,000 incidents of iron ingestion by children have been reported, and 35 children have died.

(FDA Consumer - April 1997)