Visiting family is one of the joys of the holidays. (Well, hopefully.) One of the special things about this time of year is the gathering of loved ones from afar to rejoice and carry on beloved family traditions. But our favorite TikTok pediatrician Meghan Martin (aka @Beachgem10) wants caregivers to be vigilant about common safety issues that may be more common during the holidays than usual.
“If you’re spending the holidays with your family, it’s important to know about ‘granny syndrome’ or ‘granny purse syndrome,'” she said. “This is what happens when young children take medications that their grandparents didn’t keep safe.”
She continued that there are many reasons why grandparents’ medications are not covered. For one thing, they’re not used to having kids around, so the idea of kids breaking into their stuff won’t be as clear to parents as how messy their kids are. Therefore, medicines are placed on low counters or carried in purses. Medications may not be in child-resistant containers—they may be placed in pill organizers, or their prescription containers themselves may not be child-resistant, as it may prevent people with arthritis or other less dexterous dexterity from opening their own prescriptions.
While all of these reasons are valid, the problem is still a terrible one.
“About 20 percent of poisonings in young children are related to accidental ingestion of grandparents’ medications,” Martin said. (We’ve checked this out, and according to at least one recent study, this is indeed true.)
Additionally, these drugs can be dangerous. Painkillers, blood pressure medications, or diabetes medications can have disastrous effects on anyone who shouldn’t be taking them. But the problem is even more serious for children. “Because children are so small compared to adults, even a single pill can be toxic to these children,” Martin explained.
The Good Doctor has some suggestions to help families avoid calling 911 or a poison control center (1-800-222-1222) this holiday season.
- Make sure medications are locked and secured and not carried in a backpack, purse, or suitcase.
- Do not take medicine in front of children. (“Children want to imitate the behavior of adults.”)
- Never refer to medicines as candy. The kids will think you’re telling the truth (like a lot of little Amelia Bedelias…)
- Don’t forget that over-the-counter medicines should also be kept out of the reach of children.
We know you already have a lot to worry about this time of year. Will Mimo real Is it comfortable on the foldout sofa in the den? To what extent is it over budget? also Gift over budget? and where Earth Are you going to put in a giant, super loud toy that your in-laws sent you that you specifically asked them not to have? But the value of this precaution cannot be overstated.
