Iron poisoning is the leading cause of death among children under six who ingest a toxic substance. Children can easily ingest iron supplements, which can be fatal if not treated quickly. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Prevention is key, but if ingestion occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
Iron poisoning is an extremely dangerous condition and the leading cause of death among children under six who ingest a toxic substance. Iron poisoning occurs when someone ingests too much iron. This typically occurs when children eat iron supplements, especially those designed to taste good, such as children’s vitamins. Such bottles are usually easy to open and do not have a childproof cap. Even when they do, they don’t necessarily stop a child from opening the bottle. For this reason it is extremely important to keep all iron supplements out of the reach of children.
Accidental ingestion of iron can be fatal if not treated quickly. Therefore, even suspected iron ingestion should be treated as a medical emergency. Do not induce vomiting, but instead take the child to the nearest emergency room. Emergency services can be called if personal or public transport is not available. Remember, time is of the essence.
Usually, iron poisoning occurs when a child gets 10 or more milligrams per 2.20 pounds (1 kg) of body weight. Thus, a 60-pound (27.21 kg) child could easily suffer from iron poisoning by ingesting 300 milligrams of iron. In adult pills, even a single pill, containing about 325 milligrams of iron, could easily cause iron poisoning.
At the hospital, doctors watch children for symptoms of iron poisoning, unless they know for sure that the child has eaten a large amount of pills. Because iron irritates the stomach, early symptoms may include vomiting or diarrhea that contains blood. Children can also become lethargic.
If iron poisoning is determined or possible, health care providers may give a strong laxative to flush the iron out of your child’s stomach. Severe cases may require intravenous (IV) chelation therapy. IV chelation therapy uses the chemical deferoxamine, which binds to iron and causes it to be excreted in the urine. In some cases, doctors will pump the stomach through nasal gastric lavage. This is usually only done if the child is treated during the first hour after the iron poisoning has occurred.
Children with iron poisoning who show no symptoms after six hours usually recover completely. Those with symptoms may need continuous observation and treatment for several weeks. In severe cases, iron poisoning can cause liver failure two to five days after taking the iron. Several weeks after an accidental overdose, iron poisoning can also cause scarring in the intestines.
Attempts to prevent iron poisoning are a much better approach than treating it afterwards. The most obvious precautionary approach is to keep the iron away from children. If a child still has access to iron pills, despite best efforts, then the child and any suspected sources of iron (eg, vitamin bottles) should be taken to the hospital. Different forms of iron have different digestion rates. Liquid forms of iron can be especially harmful since the body doesn’t have to break down a pill first to get to iron. Bringing up the source of iron poisoning, therefore, can help doctors properly evaluate and treat the situation.
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