Age: 15 Months

Poison Prevention

POISON PREVENTION:

Step 1: Make your home poison proof
Step 2: Be careful with medicine
Step 3: Know the Poison Control Center number and call it!

You can call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222

Make your Home Poison-Proof

Bedroom
  • No medicine on the nightstand
  • Keep perfume, lotions, cosmetics out of reach
Bathroom
  • No cleaners under the sink
  • Keep medicine, perfume, cosmetics, soap, hair products, mouthwash, and toothpaste out of reach
Kitchen and Living Area
  • No household cleaners under sink or stored near food
  • Keep vitamins out of reach
  • Leave all products in their original containers
  • Purses out of reach
  • Alcoholic beverages out of reach
  • No rat or insect poison in areas where children play
Laundry
  • Keep bleach, detergent, and fabric softener out of reach
Garage and Outside
  • Gasoline, paint, Turpentine, paint thinner, lighter fluid, bug sprays/powders, weed killers, fertilizers in a locked cabinet
  • Car products out of reach
  • Teach children not to eat mushrooms or toadstools growing in the yard
  • Know the poisonous plants in your yard!
  • If you treat your yard with pesticides, have children wait 24 hours to play outside

BE CAREFUL WITH MEDICINE

  • Keep all medicine out of reach from children and in its original container
  • Do not keep medicine in purses, or keep purses out of reach
  • Do not call medicine “candy” or take medicine in front of children as they love to copy you.
  • Use a measuring syringe or dropper given, do not guess
  • Give the right amount by following written directions, call the pharmacist if unsure
  • Make sure babysitters or caregivers have clear instructions for giving medicine

If your child has swallowed or come in contact with poison: Do not wait and call immediately!

Have the container when you call.
Do not have anyone throw up unless advised by the Poison Control Center

Protect your children from lead poison

LEAD IS POISON TO:

  • Red Blood Cells
  • Kidneys
  • Reproductive Organs
  • Bones
  • The Brain
  • Even Children Who Are Not Born Yet!
  • Children, Especially Under the Age of 6

LEAD IS FOUND IN:

  • Some Peeling Paint
  • Batteries
  • Lead Pipes
  • Bullets and Lead Weights
  • Folk Remedies
  • Food Grown in Contaminated Soil
  • Lead-Glazed Pottery or Pewter Dishes

YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR CHILD!

  • Have your child’s blood tested for lead.

Peeling Paint

  • Cover areas that have peeling paint with paneling, wallpaper, or sheet-rock
  • Do not remove peeling lead-based paint yourself. Lead dust can be deadly if you breathe it in.

Food

  • Feed your child three healthy meals and two nutritious snacks each day. Your child’s stomach absorbs more lead when it is empty.
  • Give your child foods high in iron (like beans, fortified cereals, and raisins) and calcium (like milk, yogurt, and cheese). Calcium and iron help keep lead out of your child’s blood.
  • Wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Wash hands before meals.

Other

  • Do not use water from the hot tap for drinking, cooking, or preparing infant formula.
  • Do not cook or store food in cans, pottery, ceramics, or leaded crystal. Some cans have seams made with lead. Some pottery (including Mexican beanpots), ceramics, and crystal also contain lead.
  • Do not let your children play near abandoned autos or with automobile batteries or radiators.
  • Plant grass and shrubs over bare dirt in the yard.
  • Damp-mop floors often and clean surfaces with a strong household cleaner.

Who can I call if I have questions about lead?

  • Your local health department
  • Your doctor
  • Texas Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 1-800-588-1248

The 5 FIND Elements of Serve and Return

The early years of a child’s life are important because their brains are growing. The experiences that a child has affects how their brain grows. One of the most important things adults do to support healthy brain development is called Serve and Return. Children serve when they do something, say something, or look at something. Adults return the serve when they respond. It’s these everyday moments that promote healthy brain development in young children.

Woman and child playing with a dandelion

Sharing a Child's Focus

This happens when you notice a child’s serve, and get interested in what they are doing, seeing, or feeling.

Noticing serves helps you identify a child’s interests and needs, and gives you an opportunity to respond.

Mother and father helping baby eat a banana

Supporting and Encouraging

You give support when you comfort a child, provide them with something they want or need, or help them do or understand something.

You encourage a child when you praise them, play with them, or acknowledge them.

Returning serves with support and encouragement strengthens your relationship with a child.

Woman helping children paint on paper

Naming

Naming happens when you provide a word or label for what a child is doing, seeing, or feeling.

Returning serves with naming helps build language. Naming feelings helps children learn about their emotions and how to cope with them.

Man holding out a blue ball to young child

Back and Forth

Once you return a serve with support, encouragement, or naming, interactions often go Back and Forth. Waiting for a child to respond gives them time to come up with their own ideas and responses.

These longer interactions build thinking, language, and social skills.

Baby crawling on ground with woman behind him encouraing

Endings and Beginnings

This happens when a child shows you they are all done with one activity, they serve by showing interest in something new, and you join them in the new activity.

Child led Endings and Beginnings encourages a child to explore their environment, and can help transitions go more smoothly.

Logo for People's Community Clinic

Filming Interactions to Nurture Development (FIND) is a strengths-based, video coaching program for parents and other caregivers of young children.

To participate in FIND offered at PCC, contact: Celina Nance 512-684-1749

Choosing the Right Seat for Your Child

REAR FACING CAR SEAT

  • Children under the age of 2 years should ride in an infant-only carrier-type rear facing car seat in the back seat.
  • Convertible car seats can also be used, but the rear facing setting should be used for children under 2 years old and under the maximum requirement for rear facing.

Illustration of a rear facing car seat

FORWARD FACING CAR SEAT

  • Forward-facing car seats are for children between 2-4 years old and 40-80 pounds.
  • Forward-facing car seats should only be used in the back seat.

Illustration of a forward facing car seat

BOOSTER SEAT

  • Booster seats should be used with children after age 4 and over 40 pounds.
  • Booster seats must be used with the adult lap and shoulder belt.
  • Booster seats should only be used in the back seat.

Illustration of a booster seat

SEAT BELT

  • Seat belts can be used after age 10 and your child is 4’9” tall.
  • Lap belts should be positioned low over the hips and tops of thighs.
  • Shoulder belt should cross the center of the shoulder and chest.

Illustration of a seat belt in a car

ALL children younger than age 13 should ride properly restrained in the back seat.

NEVER place a car seat in the front passenger seat.

For additional information and assistance contact EMS Car Safety Checks and Infant Safety Education at 512-972-7233 or www.atcems.org.

For other car seat check option call Dell Children’s Medical Center 512-324-8687 or Safe Riders 1-800-252-8255.

Never leave a child alone in a car!