plant safety

Keep Kids Safe from Poisonous Plants and Pesticides – Part 1

April 14, 2018 by Western Gardens

As the first days of spring arrive, people are eager to get outdoors. Unfortunately, the outdoors can pose several dangers to children. Adults can keep kids safe from poisonous plants and pesticides by being aware of some basic knowledge and advice.

According to the National Capital Poison Center, the most poisoning occurs in children who are six or younger, including almost half of poisoning exposures. Though poisoning affects everyone from seniors to infants, it is most common in one- and two-year-olds.

In 2014, poisonous plants and pesticides were among the top 10 leading causes of poisoning in children younger than six years, accounting for nearly 6 percent of poisoning cases, while bites and stings accounted for 0.5 percent of poisoning cases among the same age group. Additionally, 2.5 percent of poisoning fatalities in children younger than six years from 2010-2014 were due to pesticides, making them one of the more dangerous causes of poisoning in children.

Parents and caretakers need to be informed about the dangers of poisonous plants and pesticides to keep children safe. Parents who know what to keep out of their yards and by teaching children what to avoid can prevent many poisonings by plants and pesticides.

What You’ll Find in This Guide:

Types of Poisonous Plants
How to Prevent Poisoning from Plants
What to Do If Your Child Touches or Eats a Poisonous Plant
Pesticide Safety
Resources for Preventing Poisoning by Plants and Pesticides

Vibrant larkspur is beautiful but poisonsous to eat. Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pixabay

Types of Poisonous Plants

This section covers the more common types of poisonous plants found near backyards, parks, and trails.

Poisonous plants are categorized by the chemicals they contain. The most dangerous plants contain solanine, grayanotoxins and cardiac glycosides.

Solanine is found in food and ornamental plants such as Jerusalem Cherry, Nightshade, potato sprouts and unripe tomatoes. Unripe tomatoes and the green eyes of potatoes containing solanine, when ingested, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and moderate nausea. If children eat plants containing solanine in large quantities, drowsiness, sweating and changes in blood pressure and heart rate can occur. You may see effects within two to 24 hours, and diarrhea may last for three to six days.
Grayanotoxins are found in common yard plants including azalea and rhododendron. Lambkill and mountain laurel also contain grayanotoxins. If children eat or chew on leaves in this plant group, they may experience burning, numbness or tingling in their mouths. Within two to three hours, they may display other symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, confusion and slowed heart rate. In severe cases of grayanotoxin poisoning, children have had seizures.
Cardiac glycosides are found in plants such as squill, Lily-of-the-Valley, foxglove, and oleander. Initial signs of cardiac glycoside poisoning include stomach pain, dizziness, confusion, headache or vomiting. Children who consume plants containing cardiac glycosides also experience a change in the rate or rhythm of the heart, and effects on blood pressure also may occur.

Other common poisonous plants include:

Poppies
Hemlock
Oak leaves and their acorns
Mistletoe
Elephant ear plants
Poison oak, ivy, and sumac
Hyacinths and daffodil
Larkspur
Black locust
Wisteria
Mistletoe

Daffodils are beautiful but to eat them is not good. Photo by Pixel2013 on Pixabay

Purple grape hyacinths is a poisonous plant

Little cute “grape hyacinths” are not grapes you want your children to eat. Photo by Couleur on Pixabay

Lily of the valley poisonous plant in the garden

Lily of the Valley are a gardener’s favorite, but remember to teach little people not to eat them. Photo by Soorelis at Pixabay

pink white and purple lupine standing very tall in the garden. poisonous plant

Lupine are so colorful and beautiful. However, they are not for consumption. Photo by Punch_Ra on Pixabay

How to Prevent Poisoning from Plants

This section includes tips for preventing children from being poisoned by plants. Parents should proactively teach their children to avoid eating plants or parts of plants. It’s also a good idea for parents of young children to avoid growing poisonous plants in their yards.

The most effective way to prevent poisoning is teaching children to not eat anything they find outside, regardless of whether or not it looks or smells good. Even if the birds are eating the berries, this doesn’t mean they are not poisonous for humans. Children should only eat plants or fruits from outside if they have your permission and after taking them in the house and washing them off. Try to practice what you preach, and don’t eat items from the family garden outside; tops of potato plants and green portions of potato contain solanine and rhubarb leaves which are poisonous.

To avoid accidental poisoning of children, keep berries, seeds, bulbs and plants out of reach. Try to avoid areas in parks that aren’t commonly used and areas that contain large amounts of plants. Additionally, while it may seem like a no-brainer, try to avoid decorating or landscaping with poisonous plants at home. Plants that have bright flowers and poisonous berries should be avoided until the children are older. The bright colors can be attractive to children, which can lead to ingestion. Also, remove all mushrooms that grow near your home and check your lawn for new mushrooms, especially during a wet and hot summer.

Making your yard and garden as safe as possible is the best course of action for preventing poisoning from plants. However, you don’t want to shutter your children off from being explorative. Providing safe areas where children can play and not be at risk of poisoning can be a great way to promote imagination. When taking your children on wilderness adventures, be wary of potential hazardous plants along walkways and trails.

Keep Kids Safe from Poisonous Plants and Pesticides – Part 2

March 29, 2018 by Western Gardens

What to Do If Your Child Touches or Eats a Poisonous Plant

This section guides parents through the correct course of action should their child come into contact with or ingest a poisonous plant.

If any of these symptoms occur after your child touches or eats a poisonous plant or pesticides, call 911 immediately: choking, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing or difficulty swallowing. If your child is not experiencing these severe symptoms but has touched or eaten a poisonous plant, berry, seed, bulb, or mushroom, contact your local poison center immediately at 1-800-222-1222. Do not wait for symptoms to appear before calling. You should be prepared to give your child’s age, symptoms or illnesses, the names of plants consumed, if possible, how much and which parts were eaten, and how recently the plant was touched or ingested. The poison specialist will instruct you on what to do and which symptoms to look for in your child.

If you are somewhere you cannot immediately get assistance, do not ingest or put a plant in your mouth to check if it is poisonous. You should look for pieces of the plant in your child’s mouth and remove any that you can find. You should give him small sips of water but avoid attempting to make him vomit. If your child has a skin irritation, itching, rash or blisters, immediately rinse his skin with fresh water. Call your local poison center (1-800-222-1222) as soon as you have access to a phone line.

Flowers are like magnets to children. They love to pick and smell. Teach them not to eat anything from the yard. Photo by Ardi Evans on Unsplash

Poison Ivy grows in leaves of three. Do not touch poison ivy.

Poison Ivy is a poisonous plant you or your child do not want to even touch. Photo from WikimediaCommons

Poison oak in the fall is another gorgeous plant. Children may want to gather its leaves. Don’t touch!

Pesticide Safety

Spring and summer also bring out more pests, both inside and outside of the home. This section explores the risks pesticides pose to children and includes tips for using safer alternatives to toxic pesticides.

Early farmers spread pesticides with horses who were protected.

Crazy how the horses were somewhat protected from the sprays. Photo by Internet Archive Book Images on Flickr & Wikimedia Commons. No restrictions.

The National Pesticide Information Center makes it clear that all pesticides carry a level of toxicity and pose a risk to all people but especially to infants and children, who are more sensitive to the toxic effects of pesticides than adults. Because pesticides also pose a poisoning risk to children, it is critical that parents use pesticides responsibly.

If you do choose to use a pesticide, be sure to read the product label to ensure you use it correctly and apply it exactly as the label instructs. Look for the least-toxic pesticides available and store them in their original containers far out of the reach of children. It is critical that you keep your children and pets out of treatment areas while you apply pesticides and until treated areas dry. Children should wear shoes and sit on blankets or use other barriers between them and your lawn if it has recently been treated. When your children are finished playing, make sure they wash their hands with warm water and soap as soon as they enter your home.

The safest way to handle pests in gardens, yards, and homes is to use insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, and natural ingredients to keep them at bay. If you are looking for different forms of pesticides that can keep your family garden safe, as well as the food you grow in it, try these alternatives:

Vegetable oil mixed with mild soap for insects like aphids and mites
Mild soap mixed with water for insects like whiteflies, beetles, aphids, and mites
Neem oil mixed with mild soap and water to disrupt the life cycle of insects and to protect plants before they become infested
Diatomaceous earth as a natural pesticide
Pureed garlic mixed with vegetable oil, mild soap and water to act as an insect repellent
Garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper, mixed with liquid soap as a natural insecticide

If parents take steps to learn about how to protect their children from pesticide and plant poisoning, most poisonings could be avoided. However, accidents happen to even the most prepared, so it is important to always be ready to contact a poison control center or emergency services if a child ingests or comes into contact with poisonous plants and pesticides.

Keep Kids Safe from Poisonous Plants and Pesticides – Part 3 Resources

March 29, 2018 by Western Gardens

Resources for Preventing Poisoning by Plants and Pesticides

We have compiled a list of resources that you can contact or research to get more information on pesticides and poisonous plants. You will find locations and phone numbers, materials for learning and informational sites if you are interest in learning more about the subjects of this guide. Please note, they are listed in alphabetical order.

ASPCA Poisonous Plants is dedicated to informing people which plants are poisonous to pets and animals.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Poisoning Prevention focuses on providing tips to prevent accidental home poisonings, including those by pesticides and plants.

Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Home & Garden Information Center gives a thorough overview of poison ivy, a plant that commonly causes skin irritation in children.

Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center shares information about poisonous plants and lists both non-poisonous and poisonous plants in charts.

Penn State Extension Pesticide Education is a fun portal that allows families to learn about pesticide safety in a fun way.

Poison Control is the place to call when you suspect your child has ingested or touched a poisonous plant or pesticide. You can get help online or call 1-800-222-1212.

Poisonous Plants in the Home Landscape is a publication by Montana State University professor of horticulture R.E. Gough that lists 72 plants and tells which parts of the plants are poisonous and whether they are dangerous through contact or ingestion.

Quills Up! Spike’s Poison Prevention Adventure is an engaging video for preschool-aged children that includes life lessons in poison prevention including staying away from plants and pesticides.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Earth-Kind Landscaping shares a chart of the more common poisonous plants.

The University of California, Berkeley’s CalPhotos: Plants is an image database that contains over 300,000 pictures of plants to help determine if the plants you see on a daily basis are poisonous or not.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Poison Proof Your Home offers tips for preventing poisoning by plants and pesticides.

Author: Angie Bersin, Redfin