SALT LAKE CITY)— Mother's Day is just around the corner and families across Utah will celebrate mom and all she does, but the Utah Poison Control Center at the University of Utah is asking moms to do one more thing for their families—evaluate the contents of their purses if they have young children in the home.
"It's one of those things most moms don't really think about, but a purse can be a real danger zone for little kids," says Barbara Crouch, Pharm.D., executive director of the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC), and professor of pharmacy.
Purses can be stuffed with things like prescription and over-the-counter medications, cosmetics, health and beauty items, batteries, and hand sanitizer. "A purse can be like a portable drugstore, but we don't tend to think of it in those terms. Unlike a medicine cabinet that would be out of reach, many moms leave their purse in places where young children may have access to it," says Crouch.
The UPCC recommends doing an inventory of your purse, and removing dangerous items that may not be needed. If you do need to carry these items, remember to keep your purse out of sight and out of reach of small children at all times, including in the car.
"Little kids love to explore their mom's purses, but we recommend keeping the purse off limits. Something like a small amount of hand sanitizer, aspirin, or eyedrops can be very dangerous to young children if ingested," says Crouch. "Moms already do so much for their children, but we hope they'll take the time to do one more thing, and make sure their purses are kept away from young children."
http://uuhsc.utah.edu/poison/publiced/purseposter.pdf
Interviews and images/b-roll are available upon request. Call the Public Affairs Office at 901-581-5718 for more information.