As if we didn’t already have enough to worry about this holiday season, Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency doctor and mother of four, has shared a warning about a common hidden danger that’s prevalent during the holidays.
“If you are spending time with family for the holidays, it’s important to know about something called ‘Granny Syndrome’ or ‘Granny’s Purse Syndrome,'” she tells her social media audience. “This is when young kids get into their grandparents’ medications that are not secured properly.”
According to a 2006 study, 10% to 20% of unintentional pediatric intoxications are caused by grandparents’ medications.
While grandparents aren’t intentionally poisoning their grandchildren, Martin says one of the main reasons small children accidentally ingest medicine is lack of awareness.
“Often their medications are on low shelves or in their purses or medication containers that are not child resistant (like pill boxes) or they have medications in prescription containers that are not child resistant because of things like arthritis.”
Pain pills, antidepressants, heart medications, blood pressure medications, and diabetes medications are commonly prescribed drugs that all have the chance of causing irreparable damage.
Dr. Karen Ann Klawitter, a board-certified pediatrician with over 25 years of experience and a contributor to JustAnswer.com, tells Newsner that while the symptoms of toxicity will vary depending on the medication taken, parents and guardians should be on the lookout for blurry vision, change in pupil size, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, confusion, low blood sugar, chest pain, sleepiness (and unconsciousness), and seizures.
If a child has accidentally ingested someone else’s medicine, Klawitter says, “The most important action after accidental ingestion is to call poison control (1-800-222-1222) and/or get the child to the ER as soon as possible.”
While the consequences can be dangerous, Martin assures caregivers there are some simple steps to take that can help you avoid a trip to the hospital or a call to Poison Control.
- Make sure medication is locked up and securely placed away from children
- Do not take medicine in front of young kids
- Never refer to medicine as candy
Unfortunately, Klawitter believes guardians cannot let their guard down once children reach a certain age due to current social media trends.
“I do not think there is an age to ‘let our guard down’ because TikTok has amped up all sorts of challenges that get teens / older individuals into trouble. Most common is the ‘Pharm’, or ‘Skittles Parties’ where older kids take handfuls of medication (often obtained from parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinets) from a community bowl to share with their friends at parties.”
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