Winter in Maryland can be a breathtaking and fun time of year. Beautifully falling snow, ice-covered trees, and freezing temperatures also bring new opportunities for kids to get into things they shouldn’t. The Maryland Poison Center (MPC) receives dozens of calls per day from parents after their children get into various substances. During the winter months, we hear from parents whose children have gotten into ice melt or rock salt, or have eaten the contents of hand warmers and lip balm.
Let’s look at three products kids most commonly ingest during the winter that many adults think would taste terrible.
Ice Melt and Rock Salt
Most household ice melt or rock salt includes salt as an ingredient, similar to the salt you would use in your food.
Children may find the crystal shapes and bright colors of some products attractive enough to want to eat. They may also accidentally eat rock salt while eating snow or ice on the ground. A small taste of most rock salts used around homes, on public streets, and many commercial buildings is not expected to cause severe symptoms, in small amounts. It may taste salty, have an unpleasant taste, and may be slightly irritating to the mouth. Some ice melt products do contain more concerning ingredients like ethylene glycol, which could cause severe effects if eaten in a larger amount (more than a few crystals). Most small amount ingestions will not cause any symptoms, or may cause mild symptoms such as mouth irritation, upset stomach, or a bad taste in the mouth.
Hand Warmers
Hand warmers are small packets containing iron powder and other ingredients such as charcoal, salt, or vermiculite. When the ingredients are exposed to air or moisture, a chemical reaction occurs that releases heat. Once the reaction takes place, iron oxide, or rust, is formed. This all takes place inside the hand warmer packet. Eating the contents of a used hand warmer (after the chemical reaction has taken place) is not expected to cause severe effects. Rust does not cause iron toxicity, because the iron is not able to be absorbed into the body. If a large amount of the unused powder (a warmer that has not had the chemical reaction yet) is eaten, iron toxicity can occur and possibly cause harm to the esophagus (the “food pipe”) or stomach. If your child eats any contents of a hand warmer, call the MPC at 1-800-222-1222 for further instructions.
Lip Balm
With heaters on inside, and cold, dry air outside, access to moisturizing lip balm may be easier for kids during the colder months. The MPC takes many calls during the winter about children eating a bit of a lip balm stick. Thankfully, eating small amounts of lip balm is not expected to cause serious harm. Eating lip balm may cause some loose stool (poop) or upset stomach. If your child does eat lip balm, wipe out their mouth and wipe off their teeth, or brush their teeth and tongue with a toothbrush and toothpaste. If they do not have any symptoms, or only minor symptoms (like a slightly upset stomach), give them something to drink (water, milk, or juice are all fine) and a snack. Then call the MPC at 1-800-222-1222 to review additional recommendations.
For any exposure, if your child is experiencing severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, is unable to wake up, or is turning blue, call 911 right away.
The MPC is available 24/7. It’s always a free and confidential call.
Becka Mestas, PharmD
Certified Specialist in Poison Information
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