Teaching Experience

Introduction

Hoffman & Henken (2002) considers that household chemical toxins are the waste products released by pesticides and other home detergents. The substances often produce poisons either during their usage period or after their expiry. Moreover, they become toxins, especially when they are used wrongly without observing safety precaution on human health. Therefore, this plan intends to focus in detail on an environmental issue including chemical toxins influence on children aged one to four years within a community. The plan also shows the symptoms and effects of the toxin as well as presents the strategies that can be utilized to deal with the situation.  

Type of Household Chemicals and Risk to Children

The major household chemicals used at home include a drain cleaner, a laundry room product, furniture polish, an oven cleaner, bleach, and dishwasher detergents. The effects and threats generated by these products are huge and at times may even lead to death if proper response is not initiated. Therefore, some of the notable symptoms are irritation of the skin and eyes as well as digestive and urinary system damage. Moreover, the products can be toxic and ignitable in nature. According to WHO (2011), the effects and risks that can be begotten by household products is dangerous, especially for young children and, as a result, safety measures have to be practiced to counter the challenges caused by household chemical toxins.

Toxin Scenarios, Symptoms and Preventive Measures

The examples of how children are exposed to chemical poisons at home are numerous but in this case two will be enumerated. Firstly, children are often subjected to chemicals when a parent has not properly kept the products and, consequently, a child accesses them for wrong purposes. Such cases often result in children’s drinking or smelling such products and, hence, lead to negative effects on their life. Secondly, children can be influenced by pesticides in the garden where they are playing. The signs and symptoms associated with child toxic exposure are heart acceleration or deceleration and pain on certain parts of the body. Some chemicals usually cause drowsiness, excessive drawling, and sometimes may lead to death or collapse of the child (Hoffman & Henken, 2002).

Several measures can be utilized to counter chemical toxin exposure to a child with the objective of eliminating the effects that might arise in a child’s future lifestyle. Unused and harmful chemical products can be taken to the chemical collection centers to be recycled and disposed of. The approach is beneficial because it ensures that the child is free from being poisoned also indicating that a parent or a guardian cares about their child’s future and life respectively. Low emission products should be utilized at home as a way of reducing the risks and effects of a child being exposed to toxins (Poison Prevention. org, 2015). The examples of green products that can be used are laundry products, window cleaners, and pesticides. They lack chemicals, which ensures that a child is in a safe environment.

The other safety measures that need to be incorporated are keeping chemical products out of reach for children as it indicates that the life of a child is being considered in a safety perspective. The other strategy entails calling to the poison center using their hot line center 1-800-222-1222 for a quick advice (Poison Prevention. org, 2015). Calling the position center is significant because one will be able to be assisted and cope with possible negative outcomes that might arise at home.

Additionally, a chemical product packing should be well closed to ensure that children are unable to play with it. The rationale is based on the fact that children often consider everything as consumable, hence, it is crucial to observe their health as the first priority. Children should also not be allowed to be in the area where products such as pesticides are being sprayed to avoid unplanned circumstances. The approach of incorporating the mentioned measures is a good method because it shows that a parent or a guardian cares about the life of the child and, hence, the rationale for taking the precaution measures is perceived with the needed seriousness (Poison Prevention. org, 2015).   

Importance of Learning About Child Chemical Toxin Exposure

First of all, toxic household product exposure is a challenge for parents and the entire community in general. The rationale for the concern is based on the fact that the number of chemical products being manufactured is increasing. Furthermore, no training is being applied by firms and, as a result, the negative effects on children become an alarming issue that needs to be addressed for a child’s better future. According to Hoffman & Henken (2002), utilization of chemicals can make a home look clean but not healthy. In fact, it is true that chemicals are used at home with the aim of keeping the atmosphere clean; however, they sometimes cause negative results.

Therefore, learning about the effects of the chemical products helps the society practice the right strategies that can be pursued to deal with the problem which might be detrimental to the life of a child. Furthermore, studying the topic is essential because the first cause of accidental poisoning of a child is household chemical products. Studying their effects on the child, one is able to observe the right safety measures that should to be taken. Household chemical toxins are the major sources of indoor toxins and threats to human health. Significantly, learning about the topic brings the parent to a better position of taking care of the child in the appropriate manner (Hoffman & Henken, 2002).

Facts About Child Toxin Effects

WHO (2011), indicates that major calls that range from 50% to 70% concerned the children being exposed to chemical toxins. The rate means that the society has to take the right safety actions to help children grow in a safer atmosphere. Additionally, it shows that parents are not aware of the measures that need to be practiced to assure their child’s safety. It is true because most of the household chemical toxin events are underestimated. Moreover, it is not a good trend because the healthcare sector and the entire community need to be ready for any events so as to cope with the issue effectively.

WHO (2011), shows that in 2003, more than 20,000 children have been reported to be in contact with chlorine bleach which is a harmful substance to the child. Therefore, it is an issue that needs to be associated with mothers because they are the major individuals involved in the laundry work. The best approach that should be implemented is training of the parent on how to use chemical products in a safe way evading the child exposure. The fact that the mortality rate is slow means that the nursing fraternity is doing their job well. Reports by WHO (2011), illustrate that the majority of children affected are aged between one and four years, and boys lead in this rate. Evidently, the boys are known to be more active that is why they are more likely to appear in the wrong places with the wrong tools.

What to Do if a Poison Occurs

According to the reports indicated by Poison Prevention.org (2015), it is significant to call the position center for assistance through 1-800-222-1222. The center is available for help, hence, the strides have been implemented to counter the increasing trend of toxin exposure to a child. During the help line call, a parent or a guardian is expected to answer such questions as the age and weight of the child, the product in question, time when it was taken, and the location. The caller also should remain calm and follow the instructions offered by the poison center. Therefore, implementing the above mentioned approaches will help one to save their children and ensure that they have a better future (Poison Prevention.org, 2015).

Conclusion

To sum up, the plan indicates that household chemical toxins are becoming a leading trend in poisoning children at home. It is significant to practice the above-mentioned strategies so as to counter the effects and risks of child toxin exposure. Parents and guardians are encouraged to take care of their kids by keeping detergents and other chemical products at the inaccessible places not forgetting to close them well. Finally, the proposed approaches need to be practiced to ascertain a better future for children.