title: Prevention of childhood poisoning in the home: overview of systematic reviews and a systematic review of primary studies.
abstract: Unintentional poisoning is a significant child public health problem. This systematic overview of reviews, supplemented with a systematic review of recently published primary studies synthesizes evidence on non-legislative interventions to reduce childhood poisonings in the home with particular reference to interventions that could be implemented by Children's Centres in England or community health or social care services in other high income countries. Thirteen systematic reviews, two meta-analyses and 47 primary studies were identified. The interventions most commonly comprised education, provision of cupboard/drawer locks, and poison control centre (PCC) number stickers. Meta-analyses and primary studies provided evidence that interventions improved poison prevention practices. Twenty eight per cent of studies reporting safe medicine storage (OR from meta-analysis 1.57, 95% CI 1.22-2.02), 23% reporting safe storage of other products (OR from meta-analysis 1.63, 95% CI 1.22-2.17) and 46% reporting availability of PCC numbers (OR from meta-analysis 3.67, 95% CI 1.84-7.33) demonstrated significant effects favouring the intervention group. There was a lack of evidence that interventions reduced poisoning rates. Parents should be provided with poison prevention education, cupboard/drawer locks and emergency contact numbers to use in the event of a poisoning. Further research is required to determine whether improving poison prevention practices reduces poisoning rates.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Primary Care , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Persephone M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.affiliation: a Division of Primary Care , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: a Division of Primary Care , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: b NHS Clinical Research and Trials Unit, Norwich Medical School , University of East Anglia , Norwich , UK.
authors.forename: Gosia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Majsak-Newman
authors.affiliation: c Great North Children's Hospital, New Victoria Wing , Royal Victoria Infirmary , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.affiliation: d Centre for Child and Adolescent Health , University of the West of England , Bristol , UK.
authors.forename: Bryony
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: a Division of Primary Care , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mhizha-Murira
authors.affiliation: a Division of Primary Care , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kendrick
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011041:Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: childhood; home; poisoning; prevention; unintentional injuries