Parents who lock their medicine cabinets to prevent their children being poisoned often unwittingly overlook another danger: toxic plants in the garden.
It's a warning that's especially important for small children, who often play outside at this time of year and have a tendency to put things in their mouths.
The list of toxic plants is long, but some of the most serious poisoning dangers are foxglove, death camas, yew trees, castor bean, hellebore, Jimson weed, oleander, water hemlock and mushrooms, according to the B.C. Drug and Poison Information Centre.
Plants that can cause less-serious reactions, including mouth swelling, rash or stomach ache if ingested, include rhubarb leaves, azaleas, calla lilies and lupins.
Up to half the 100 to 125 calls a day to the Vancouver-based drug and poison centre - which is affiliated with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control - come from parents and caregivers reporting that a child under six has ingested something inappropriate.
"Typically, calls are highest for children in the five-to six-year-old age group, because they are finally out there exploring their world," says Debra Kent, a supervisor at the poison centre. "They generally are attracted to things that stand out from the background, such as berries in a bush or mushrooms in a lawn."
While toxic plants make up a tiny proportion of the plants growing in Vancouver Island yards, any plant can cause an unexpected reaction, especially in young children. The amount of vegetation, even if it is non-toxic, and the size and age of the child also have a bearing on symptoms.
Most times, kids don't need to go to the hospital just because they swallowed something, Kent says. But she does encourage parents to call. "Let us assess the situation and tell you [whether] to worry or not."
The Poison Information Centre's 24-hour toll-free phone lines are staffed by pharmacists, nurses and physicians who have specific expertise in drugs and poisons. Poison specialists advise parents on symptoms to watch for and determine if it's appropriate to take the child to the emergency department of a hospital.
It's not just plants that kids sometimes stuff into their mouths. Poison-centre staff won't laugh if a parent calls to report a child eating slugs. The centre also fields calls on other backyard hazards, such as stings from bees or wasps - or even adverse reactions to caterpillars.
The boom in the caterpillar population this spring has delighted small children, who don't realize that the cute, fuzzy caterpillars have hair with venom at its base.
Kent says one four-year-old thought it was fun to let a caterpillar crawl all over her - until her skin sported inflamed red tracks, prompting her parents to call the poison centre. Another ate a caterpillar. The release of the venom caused swelling and a considerable amount of pain for that unlucky child.
While the five-to-six-year-old group is the most likely to innocently devour toxic plants, parents of older children shouldn't give up their vigilance yet.
"The next age group are the six-to-eight year-olds," says Kent. "This group are in their own make-up world. This group are outside playing and pretending. They are making pretend cakes and smoothies with plants.
When Harry Potter was popular, we had a lot of calls about children making 'magic potions.' "
The poison centre frequently fields anxious calls from people who have recently moved to Vancouver Island from another part of the country or overseas. Some local plants look similar to ones found elsewhere in the world. Newcomers get in trouble when a toxic plant growing in Victoria looks a lot like an edible plant that grew around their previous home.
"Different species of mushrooms can look the same," says Kent. "But what may have been a tasty snack where they used to be can turn out to be poisonous here."
Then there's the issue of garden chemicals commonly stored in sheds or garages. Gardeners are advised to keep their dolomite lime, moss killers, herbicides, dormant oil and insecticides under lock and key, or at least on a shelf that's inaccessible to children or pets.
The poison information centre produces a Plant Awareness pamphlet, which is generally available at local nurseries or can be downloaded as a PDF document, with a list of toxic and non-toxic plants. It also gives a list of dos and don'ts in case of plant ingestion.
Parents looking for help elsewhere on the Internet can find the volume of information confusing. There are many sites, some with conflicting information. What may be valid in one part of the world does not apply in another country or locale.
Kent advises parents to call the help line and not rely on the Internet or well-meaning friends for advice. "Our motto is: Don't guess.
Be sure."
B.C. Drug and Poison Information Centre 24-hour line: 18005678911. For more information, go to www.dpic.org.
