Poisoning accidents This app should have all parents

Free app for poisoning accidents in children

Especially small children often put things in their mouth that can cause severe poisoning. Here, quick action is required to avoid life-threatening situations. Therefore, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been offering a free app for several years, which in case of emergency also directly establishes contact with one of the Poison Information Centers. An app that can save lives in an emergency.

"The award-winning app provides information on chemicals, medicines, fungi and plants that can cause poisoning accidents in children - and how they can be avoided," reports the BfR in a recent release. Also, in case of emergency, a call to one of the poison information centers directly from the app is possible. Parents can download the app for free on the BfR website.

For example, serious poisoning can be the result of small children swallowing detergents or household cleaners. (Image: Marco2811 / fotolia.com)

Real help for the parents

While the meaning of many apps may well be doubted, the BfR app "Poisoning accidents in children" is a real help for parents in case of emergency. It teaches how to protect babies and toddlers from poisoning and provides recommendations for preventing accidents, such as child-resistant storage of medicines, household chemicals and other products. An issue of great explosiveness, because poisoning is the most common type of accident for children after falling, reports the BfR.

Information for emergencies

In addition, the app provides information that can save lives in an emergency, according to the BfR. Even a call to one of the eight German poison information centers is possible directly from the app. However, the app can not replace the 112 emergency call and poisoning accidents must be properly supplied in any case, according to the experts.

Free information available

The BfR app "Poisoning accidents in children" was last updated technically and expanded in content at the end of 2018, so that now, for example, all plants in the official list of toxic plant species are listed. It is available as a download for the Android and iOS operating systems for free. Currently, the BfR promotes a stronger distribution of the app and has provided this information material that doctors, childcare facilities and schools can request free to inform parents and carers of young children through the app. "The app helps to make the right decision in emergencies," emphasizes BfR President Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel (fp)