Energy drinks, sports drinks and other beverages with high amounts of caffeine and added sugar can make kids and adults, sleepless, jittery and anxious. Increased heart rate and high blood pressure are other risks of highly caffeinated energy drinks. In children and teens, the child and parent may not be aware of all that’s in…
The rapid spread of the coronavirus has made it critical that accurate health information be distributed as quickly as possible to Kentucky residents. The Kentucky Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital stepped up to establish the commonwealth’s COVID-19 hotline in early March. The center is led by Ashley Webb, Pharm.D., DABAT, who oversees a…
Poisonings related to cleaners and disinfectants are surging as local families work to protect themselves against COVID-19. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poison control centers nationwide received more than 45,000 calls tied to cleaners and disinfectants during the last quarter, about a 20% increase. While the increase affected…
Parents and grandparents are unintentionally contributing to 50,000 emergency room visits each year by removing prescription drugs’ child-resistant packaging. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, more than half of children under age 5 who are poisoned by prescription pills ate them after an adult removed the safety packaging. Nearly a third of those cases involved…
Would you notice if you were missing any of those prescription pain relievers leftover from your surgery last summer? Do you even know how many pills are in those bottles in the back of your bathroom cabinet? Prescription drugs are the most commonly misused substances by teens after marijuana and alcohol, and two-thirds of teens…
Choking first aid such as the Heimlich maneuver for toddlers and back slaps for infants can prevent tragedy. Norton Children’s Prevention & Wellness cautions parents to always watch for choking hazards, but especially this time of year, as children tend to eat more candy and visit homes for holiday parties. Children, especially toddlers, like to…
Nearly 8,000 calls came into the Kentucky Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital in 2018 as a result of concerns about children under 5 ingesting medication. Calls involve kids getting access to medication they should not have or receiving the wrong dose or wrong medication. The high number of calls puts medications on the…
The Kentucky Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital has been working to reduce illness and death from poisoning in Kentucky for 65 years. The center provides 24/7 free and confidential access to specially trained nurses, pharmacists and physicians. The nurses are nationally certified specialists in poison information, and the physicians are board certified in…
When parents think of drug overdoses in kids, many think of street drugs such as bath salts, marijuana or ecstasy. However, parents need to keep in mind the dangers associated with drugs right in their own medicine cabinet. Child and teen overdoses associated with prescription drugs found in the home are on the rise. According…
My 3-year-old son and I stopped by my buddy’s house to borrow a tool for a plumbing repair. While we were in the garage, Matthew wandered away and into the house. I don’t know how long he was gone, but at some point, I noticed how quiet everything was —never a good sign with Matthew….