ACCIDENTAL CHILDHOOD POISONING IN BENIN CITY: STILL A PROBLEM?

Accidental poisoning (AP) is a leading cause of ill – health and deaths among Nigerian children. Reports on AP are infrequent in Nigeria. This retrospective descriptive study examined the prevailing pattern of accidental childhood poisoning in Benin City. Accidental poisonings were identified in 226 (3.3%) of the cases during the 10 – year period. The children were aged 9 months to 5 years with peak age at 2 years and male to female ratio of 1.3: 1. The ingested poisons include Hydrocarbon (60.6%); Household products (16.4%); Alcohol (12.4%) and Drugs (8.8%). Seventeen (7.5%) children died. It is recommended that health education of parents and care givers should be intensified.