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Antifreeze can kill your child
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Antifreeze is the stuff you put in your car's radiator to keep the radiator from freezing. Most brands of antifreeze contain ethylene glycol.
Ethylene glycol is a sweet tasting liquid and it is deadly -- just two tablespoons of antifreeze is enough to kill a child. Hundreds of children get into antifreeze every year and are poisoned by it. Kids find antifreeze:
- in the garage, when they come across an unmarked bottle of old antifreeze or a pan of antifreeze left on the floor.
- in a puddle of it left in a parking space or on the driveway.
One of the organs most affected by ethylene glycol is the kidneys, and even a small amount of antifreeze can cause kidney damage.
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Steps you can take
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- If you think your child has swallowed any amount of antifreeze, call the poison control center or emergency room immediately. If treatment starts before kidney damage begins, treatment is often successful.
- NEVER store unused antifreeze or old antifreeze in something like a 2-liter soda bottle or a milk jug. Children may mistake the antifreeze for a beverage.
- Keep antifreeze in locked cabinets out of reach of children.
- If your radiator has a leak and is leaving a puddle of antifreeze on the driveway or the garage floor, clean the antifreeze up and get the car fixed. Children love puddles.
- If you are working on your car, never leave a pan of antifreeze out in the garage or the driveway. Children love to play in water.
- If your child is acting "drunk", one thing you should consider is the possibility of antifreeze poisoning. Ethylene glycol acts like alcohol does on the brain.
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Additional Resources
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