When you\u2019ve got young kids in the house, it can feel like danger lurks everywhere \u2013 even when you\u2019ve done your best to child-proof every room.<\/p>\n
But when grandparents<\/a> or other relatives come to stay, or you visit them, there is a threat that lurks on bedside tables, or in grandma\u2019s handbag, which could land your child in hospital… <\/p>\n According to a 2016 study,<\/a> grandparents\u2019 medications account for 10-20% of unintentional paediatric intoxications in the United States.<\/p>\n Of 200 incidents analysed, researchers found the average age of the child admitted to hospital was 18 months old, and most medications they\u2019d ingested had been placed on tables, countertops, or low shelves.<\/p>\n In the UK, the British Toxicology Society <\/a>noted that approximately two-thirds of cases of childhood accidental medication poisoning are from medications not intended for children\u2019s use, \u201coften either their parent\u2019s or grandparent\u2019s medications\u201d. <\/p>\n While some children might come out unscathed, there are instances where they can become very ill, or it could prove fatal.<\/p>\n Opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, iron-containing medicines and anti-epileptic drugs can be particularly dangerous to small bodies. <\/p>\n