During the holiday season, family gatherings can increase the risk of drug poisoning in children. It’s called “grandma’s handbag syndrome.”
- “Grandma’s purse syndrome” occurs when young children take medications from their grandparents, often found on low shelves or in their bags.
- “The height and weight of children being very small compared to adults, a single pill can represent a toxic ingestion for young patients,” according to an American pediatrician.
- To avoid any drug poisoning, medications should be closed and stored in a safe place.
“If you’re spending time with your family during the holidays, it’s important to be aware of something called ‘Grandma’s Syndrome’ or ‘Grandma’s Handbag Syndrome’ .” This is how Dr. Meghan Martin, an American pediatrician, began one of her videos published on her TikTok account. The latter occurs when children grab and ingest their grandparents’ medications, which are not properly stored and protected. According to the practitioner, this can happen for many reasons. “One of them is that grandparents are not used to having children around them. Their medicines are often on low shelves or in their purses, or in containers that are not strong enough, like pill boxes, due to arthritis for example, and therefore that toddlers can open easily.”
@beachgem10 “Granny syndrome” happens when young kids get into their grandparents (often unsecured) medication. Parents remind YOUR parents to secure all medications to keep kids safe! #Thanksgiving #Parents #grandparents #kids #emergency #toxic ♬ original sound – Beachgem10
“A single pill can represent a toxic ingestion” for children
Behind “grandma’s handbag syndrome” lies a danger for children: drug poisoning. “Approximately 20% of poisonings among young people are linked to the accidental ingestion of medicines by grandparents,” reported the pediatrician. This figure is indicated in a study carried out in the United States and published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Medications ingested by toddlers can be very dangerous, as they can include painkillers, antidepressants, treatments for the heart, blood pressure or even diabetes. “Since the height and weight of children are very small compared to adults, a single pill can represent a toxic ingestion for young patients!”
“Grandma’s handbag syndrome”: the right actions to adopt
As Christmas and the New Year approach, the specialist recalls that before family gatherings, it is particularly important to ensure that medications are closed and placed in a safe place, not to store them in bags backpacks, handbags or suitcases, not to take tablets or pills in front of children because they want to imitate what adults do. It is not necessary “never call medicines candy in front of little ones. (…) If your child ingests them, you can call emergency services or poison control centers.”
