- In 2006, the 61 U.S. poison centers handled more than 2.5 million reports

- Poisoning is the second most common form of unintentional death in the U.S. In any given year, there will be between 2 and 4 million poison exposures, 60 percent involving children under 6 in their own home.

- More than 70 percent of the cases handled by the poison centers were managed safely at home, resulting in dramatic cost savings — estimated at nearly a billion dollars in 2005 — over visits to the emergency room. ~ ConsumerReports.Org, Poison Control Centers: A Vital, Fragile Resource

Okay, this fact is a bit chilling - between 4 and 10 p.m. is known as the “arsenic hour” at most poison control centers because that is when call volume peaks. They attribute it to the fact that the parents tend to be distracted by dinner and other end-of-day tasks that leave their young ones unsupervised more than any other time of the day.

Here is a comprehensive list of Tips to Help Reduce Unintentional Poisonings in the Home. As they say, education is the best prevention. What I found helpful was the list of common household items like baby oils and sunscreens that are listed as oily hydrocarbon products which can suffocate children if drawn into the lungs when ingested.

- Each year, poison control centers receive more than 1.1 million calls about accidental poisonings among children ages 5 and under.

- Only 30 percent of caregivers are able to accurately measure a correct dosage of over-the-counter medications to their children.

- More than 90 percent of poisonings in children occur in the home.

- In children, approximately 60 percent of poisonings involve products other than medicines such as plants, cleaning products, cosmetics, pesticides, paints, and solvents; 40 percent of poisonings involve medications. ~ M.U.S.C. Children’s Hospital, Common Childhood Injuries and Poisonings

It is clear to me that general awareness and education is the best prevention.