Medication Poisonings in Young Children

First published June 2013
Updated August 2025

Do you have a child under the age of six? Preschool children (less than six years old) are at the highest risk for poisoning of any age group, making up nearly half the poisonings reported in the country. These children and their curiosity are delightful. They love to explore; to them everything is new and interesting. This is part of how they learn and anything in the home can become their new toy.

Unfortunately, some things found in the home can become dangerous when little ones go exploring, and medications are at the top of that list. In 2024, poison centers had almost 16,000 calls about Ohio children being poisoned by medications.

In the US, children aged 0-5 years made up approximately 6% of the population but they accounted for approximately 40% of all cases managed by poison centers. The largest groups of medications children got into were pain medications (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) followed by dietary/herbal supplements and then antihistamines. In the past decade, the number of children poisoned by medications has actually gone down. Unfortunately, the severity of these poisonings has gotten worse.

The most serious poisonings from medications resulted from pain medications, stimulant medications (like those used to treat ADHD), and heart medications (like amlodipine). These may be common medications for you or your family members, so if you have small children in the home, remember that their curious nature can sometimes get them into trouble.

Daily or weekly “pill minders” and “pill planners” make it very easy to know if you’ve taken your doses, BUT they are also very easy for children to open. If you use these, keep them up high, out of sight, and out of reach, or in a locked box.

If you have questions, call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Save the number in your cell phone or call for a free magnet with the poison center number and an information packet on how to poison proof your home.

Medication and Poison Safety Tips

• Keep medications up high, out of sight and, if possible, locked up.
• Marijuana edibles have seen a surge in availability over the last year - children can easily mistake these for candy! Ensure your marijuana products are stored far out of reach, away from other food products, and locked up.
• Keep medicines in their original containers with child resistant tops - remember that “child resistant” does not mean “child proof!”
• Do not leave medicines out on counters or tables.
• Keep your cleaning supplies in locked cabinets – under the sink storage is easy access for a 2-year-old!
• Know what kind of plants, shrubs, flowers and berries are in your yard. It’s so much easier to figure these out before a child takes a bite!
• The garage is an exciting place for a child but auto products like gasoline and antifreeze can be deadly in a single mouthful – store auto products and lawn products up high and out of reach.
• If you have questions, call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222. They’re free, confidential, and open all the time!