“A grandma’s hug is made of love and magic…”
You’ve heard a million adoring sentiments about the precious relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren. What you may not have heard about are the deadly dangers lurking in grandma’s pocketbook in the form of pills - known as “Granny Syndrome” or “Granny’s Purse Syndrome”.
   According to studies, children ages 1 through 5 are most likely to rummage through their grandma’s purses for goodies, where they’re likely to find - and eat - various pills, vitamins, medications, and supplements. Thinking that some of those colorful pills are yummy candy, their unintentional pediatric exposures to pharmaceuticals often lead to fatalities and accidental child poisoning.
  “Children are very curious by nature and so many medications look like candy to them,” said Las Vegas, Nevada, Pediatrician Elsa Von Schulenburg, MD.
   The solo practitioner with over 40 years of experience shared her expertise with Preferred Health Magazine, revealing the truth behind “Granny Syndrome,” for short, and how the enticing colors of pills could lead to accidental deaths and poisoning.

According to Schulenburg, grandmothers often load their purses with blood pressure and heart prescriptions when they go out. Diabetes pills and even vitamins - like iron supplements - could be fatal if ingested by a child.
   The fact that children are increasingly being cared for by grandparents, who babysit them for days at a time, could lead to danger.

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What leads to children having easy access to medications?

“As we get older, we sometimes have trouble opening pill bottles that are childproof - having to push down and twist the safety locks - so we put our medication in easy-to-access containers instead, which little ones can easily pry into,” the compassionate pediatrician said.

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A testament to this is the fact that many elderly who have arthritis often ask pharmacists not to use child-resistant caps on prescriptions so the bottles will open more easily. Adults may be keeping simple supplements - like Vitamin C, for example - around for their health. However, children’s bodies and their respective weights are not meant to digest the high dosage and milligrams that are recommended for seniors.
   “There are a lot of vitamins - and even simple painkillers like Tylenol - that are colorful and look like candy. We don’t realize how dangerous it could be for a small child’s body,” she said. “For example, a two-year-old taking 500 milligrams of Tylenol is quite a large dose – this kind of accidental ingestion could cause liver failure or even Hepatitis.”
 

How Grandparents Can Keep Kiddies Safe:

• Don’t carry your daily pills on you when you’re watching grandchildren; take your medications, if possible, when you won’t be with your family.
• Keep pills in a secure container and check that the seal hasn’t been opened.
• When discarding expired medications, bring them to a proper DEA disposal location.
• Have the Poison Control phone number handy at all times.
• If your grandchildren are staying with you, have medications locked up and never leave pill bottles on the counter.
• Make sure parents teach children to stay away from opening random bottles.
• Count your pills! Take only what you need if you’re staying with the child for a long time, and keep track of how many doses are in each bottle. If any are missing, it will indicate, in an emergency, the potentially toxic dosage swallowed.

Dr. Schulenburg also reflected on one of the worst things to do when a child has accidentally ingested medications.
  “Some of us grew up using ipecac syrup, which would induce vomiting in an emergency when your stomach needed to be emptied,” she said. “Children certainly can’t benefit from this drastic measure and studies have found that this syrup is often misused and very dangerous. It can be corrosive to the insides, so it was banned for medical use in 2003; it really is ineffective in treating poisons.”
   She also advises against prying into a child’s mouth or throat to retrieve a pill they may have just tried to swallow. While “Granny’s Purse Syndrome” has been a danger to families for many decades, there are new drugs on the market that pose even greater risks.

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Some Facts:

• According to Poison Control (The National Capital Poison Center), the most dangerous prescription medicines for children to get their hands on include pills for diabetes, anxiety, muscle spasms, sleep problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, and opioid (narcotic) pain relievers.
• In 2020, it was noted by the Children’s Safety Network that unintentional poisoning was the second leading cause of accidental injury deaths for children and adolescents ages 1-19. Drug poisoning was related to 73% of the accidental poisoning deaths in children ages 0-9 and 96% of the unintentional poisoning deaths in adolescents ages 10-19.
• A study completed by the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine outlined and identified incidents tied to accidental ingestion. The increasing use of anti-depressants also puts children at risk.

Another reason children may rummage through pills is to mimic adults, the study claims, as some may think they are imitating “grown-up” behavior without the cognitive development that enables them to know the difference between safe and unsafe products. Other children are simply more ‘explorative’ and, a study notes, they will ‘taste-test everything.’
   The first thing parents and grandparents should do when a child is reacting to an accidental ingestion is to call Poison Control (1-800-822- 1222) and take the youngster to the emergency room.
   Not all grandparents can be counseled and educated in time on how their medications can be a danger to youngsters, so spread the word and keep a watch on those prescription-filled purses!

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