When to call Poison Control

The number 1-800-222-1222 is the most important phone number a parent doesn't memorize. It connects you to your regional Poison Control Center, staffed 24 hours a day by pharmacists and medical toxicologists. The call is free, anonymous, and almost always saves you an unnecessary ER trip.

About 70% of Poison Control calls about kids end with "stay home and watch." Most "poisonings" involve a substance that turns out to be non-toxic in the amount ingested. But you don't know which 70% until you call.

Save the number now

Open your phone. Add a contact: "Poison Control" with the number 1-800-222-1222. Pin it to your home screen if you can. Add it to every caregiver's phone, fridge, daycare, and grandparents.

From any US phone, the same number works and routes you to your regional center based on area code. Spanish-speaking is automatic if you request it.

What to call about

Call Poison Control if your child:

• Swallowed something they shouldn't have. Medication, vitamin, cleaning product, plant, makeup, essential oil, etc.
• Got a substance in their eye. Cleaning product, makeup, plant juice, etc.
• Got a substance on their skin. Especially anything caustic or irritating.
• Inhaled something. Smoke from a chemical, fumes from a cleaning product mix, vape, drug.
• Took someone else's medication. Even a single adult pill of certain meds is dangerous for a toddler.
• Took the wrong dose of their own medication. Doubled up. Took an old prescription. Got an adult dose by mistake.
• You're not sure if something is dangerous. They will tell you yes or no.

Always call 911 instead

Skip Poison Control and call 911 directly if your child is:

• Unresponsive or unconscious.
• Having trouble breathing.
• Having a seizure.
• Showing signs of shock (pale, sweaty, weak pulse).
• Severely vomiting and unable to keep fluids down.
• Exposed to a known life-threatening substance in large amount (huge dose of opioids, large amount of cleaning chemical, etc.).
• Showing major neurological symptoms (confusion, severe agitation, inability to walk).

For these scenarios, you need EMS and ER care, fast. Call 911 and they'll loop in toxicology guidance.

What to have ready before you call

The Poison Control specialist needs:

1. Your child's age and weight. Approximate is fine if you're unsure.
2. The substance. Have the container in your hand. Read the brand name and active ingredient.
3. How much you think they took. "Half a bottle," "a single pill," "a mouthful." Estimate.
4. What time it happened. Or "I just found them with it."
5. Symptoms. Any vomiting? Drowsiness? Anything different about them?
6. Their medical conditions or other medications.
7. Your phone number (so they can call back if you get disconnected).

Don't waste time before calling if you don't have all of this. They will work with what you have. Faster info is better than complete info.

Common substances that worry parents

Medications

• Adult medications. The single most common cause of pediatric poisoning ER visits. ALWAYS call. Beta blockers, blood thinners, antidepressants, diabetes meds, and blood pressure meds can be lethal at one adult pill.
• Children's medications taken in excess. Tylenol overdose is one of the most dangerous because symptoms appear late (after liver damage has started). Always call.
• Vitamins and iron supplements. Iron poisoning from prenatal vitamins is a major cause of childhood deaths. Always call for iron exposure.
• Cannabis edibles / THC gummies. Rising rapidly as kids find adult gummies. Can cause respiratory depression. Always call.

Household chemicals

• Cleaning products. Most "ingestion" amounts are small. Many products are less toxic than they sound. Call.
• Hand sanitizer. Alcohol content makes it dangerous in larger amounts. Call for any ingestion.
• Dishwasher and laundry pods. The concentrated detergent is highly irritating. Pods are also a major chemical burn risk in eyes and mouth. Call AND head to ER.
• Drain cleaner, oven cleaner. Caustic. Major burn risk. 911 or ER.
• Vinegar and small amounts of soap. Usually not toxic, but call to confirm.

Plants

• Common houseplants (philodendron, pothos, etc.). Most cause mouth irritation, not systemic poisoning. Call.
• Berries. Some are safe, some are not. Take a photo, call.
• Mushrooms. Always call. Some are dangerous and identification is hard.
• Holiday plants (poinsettia, holly, mistletoe). Less dangerous than reputation suggests but call.

Beauty and personal care

• Toothpaste. Small amounts non-toxic. A whole tube of fluoride toothpaste can cause vomiting and stomach upset. Call.
• Makeup. Generally non-toxic in tasted amounts. Call to confirm.
• Nail polish remover. Acetone exposure. Call.
• Essential oils. Some are dangerous (tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint), especially in babies. Always call.
• Hair products with sulfates or peroxide. Call.

Outside

• Antifreeze. Highly toxic. ER immediately.
• Windshield washer fluid. Methanol content makes it dangerous. ER.
• Pesticides, weed killers, fertilizers. Call.
• Gasoline. Call. Inhalation hazard if vomited.
• Snake or insect bites. Call Poison Control for ID and bite advice.

What NOT to do

Don't induce vomiting

The old advice to make a child vomit (using syrup of ipecac, salt water, or finger down the throat) is no longer recommended. Reasons:

• Vomiting brings the substance back up through the esophagus, which can cause MORE damage with caustic chemicals.
• Aspiration risk: vomiting an oily substance (like gasoline) into the lungs is deadly.
• Vomiting doesn't actually get most of the substance out.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends AGAINST syrup of ipecac in homes.

Throw away any syrup of ipecac you have. Don't replace it.

Don't give activated charcoal at home

Activated charcoal can bind certain substances and is sometimes given in ERs. At home, the wrong dose or wrong substance can make things worse. Let medical professionals decide.

Don't give milk or water "to dilute"

Not unless Poison Control specifically tells you to. For some substances, additional fluid spreads the substance faster. For others, fluids are protective. Call first.

Don't wait to "see if it gets worse"

The window for treatment is sometimes short. For acetaminophen, charcoal works best within 2 hours. For iron, within 6. Call as soon as you suspect.

The follow-up plan

After your initial call, Poison Control will:

• Give you immediate instructions.
• Sometimes call you back at scheduled intervals (every 30 to 60 minutes) to check on your child.
• Stay with you on the case until they're confident the child is safe.
• Document the call for follow-up.

If they tell you to go to the ER, they'll call ahead to alert the ER and provide their toxicology consultation. You arrive expected.

If they tell you to stay home, save the call reference number. If symptoms develop or you have new concerns, call them back.

Prevention checklist

Most toddler poisonings happen because medications, household chemicals, or small toxic items were within reach. The 20-second babyproofing audit:

• Medications: locked container, out of reach, including grandma's purse and guest bags.
• Vitamins (especially iron): locked or up high.
• Cleaning products: not under the sink without a lock; in upper cabinets ideally.
• Detergent pods: in a hard-to-reach cabinet, not visible to kids.
• Hand sanitizer: out of reach when not actively in use.
• Cannabis edibles: in a locked container, not in fridge or pantry where kids browse.
• Cosmetics: out of toddler reach.
• Alcohol: every bottle out of reach.
• Houseplants: research what you have; some are toxic.
• Outside chemicals: locked garage cabinet.
• Button batteries: under lock and key (these can burn through the esophagus in minutes; see our button battery guide).

What about the daycare or grandparent question

If a poison exposure happens at someone else's home:

• Call Poison Control FROM that location. They'll talk to whoever is with the child.
• If you're not present, the caregiver should call. The caller doesn't have to be the parent.
• The caregiver can also bring the child to the ER if needed. Notify the parents immediately.

Make sure every caregiver of your child knows the Poison Control number and what to do. Print a small card with the number and post it visibly.