In the U.S. there are many substances and medications that can cause serious harm to children of a tender age, which is why the National Capital Poison Center created the SPIKE program. Because these children first experience the world through their senses and are deeply curious, parents, guardians, and older siblings need to be vigilant. But since there are about 24 million calls involving these toddlers and pre-K children, it’s essential to have an educational resource that both kids and adults can understand.
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Don’t Knock the Sock Puppets
To appeal to the very young and to present information in an intelligible format to all guardians—whether they’re teenaged babysitters or experienced adults—the Poison Control Center put a friendly face on their mascot, Spike. He’s a porcupine sock puppet and the star of his own puppet show, featured on the Center’s website.
Along with printable and downloadable fact sheets, activities, and informational pamphlets, educators across the country can access the video, specific information about poison risks, and emergency management processes to ensure safety for all the kids in their care. But an individual need not be a teacher in the United States to view and download the vital facts on the NCPC’s website.
The Unsettling Frequency
Next to batteries, medications appear to be one of the most frequent poison risks to small children. According to Child Safety and Abuse Prevention Programs, of the nearly 800,000 children rushed to the ER for accidental poisoning each year, approximately 100,000 are there due to inadvertent pill consumption.
The inclusion of grandparents in a child’s life also comes with a need for caution, because many of the medications prescribed to more mature individuals are potent enough to kill a small child. These cases account for as many as 20 percent of all poisoning cases involving the very young.
Glossaries and Guides
Perhaps most useful, the SPIKE program offers a range of detailed glossaries and tips for action to parents and guardians. In the alphabetical poison and prevention guide, adults can educate themselves about substances in their homes. Carefully segmented to address common issues, whether it’s how to correctly store heart medication and palliative remedies or how to cope with a child who drank Mommy’s perfume, it offers clear and easily understood information.
Multimedia Connection
In addition to potential risks and how to store substances safely, the program also provides crucial first aid information and how a guardian or parent can most effectively seek help for their child. The most impressive campaign associated with the program and the NCPC, in general, is their use and understanding of multiple approaches.
Not only are the SPIKE program teaching materials and activity guides available for free to all, but they also actively promote ease of access to professional assistance in the instance of an emergency. This renders SPIKE a multi-pronged approach—fun, easy-to-understand activities that engage small children and educate them, text- and phone-based avenues to receive help, and a virtual platform to engage with professionals or access additional, focused information.
Western society is marked, for better or worse, by the industrialized use of chemicals and medications that are toxic to the very young. In the past, the high rate of child mortality necessitated increased vigilance and the heightened presence of a national center for poison control, which could offer assistance and provide information. Today’s integrated technology allows for greater access of that information and faster rates of response in the case of poisoning, but the SPIKE program also provides a forum in which young children and adults can learn about safe play and poison avoidance together.
