Pediatricians: 'Don't use Syrup of Ipecac'

The Poison Control Center's phone numbers are 800-222-1222 or (402) 955-5555 (in Omaha). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has revised its recommendations about using Syrup of Ipecac in poisoning cases. The association is now saying that parents should not use syrup of ipecac as a poison treatment. The AAP had previously advised that parents keep a 1-ounce bottle of syrup of ipecac in the home to induce vomiting if it was feared a child had swallowed a poisonous substance. Ipecac was recommended for use only on the advice of a doctor or poison control center. A key reason for this change was that recent research failed to show benefits for children who were treated with ipecac. Below are two flyers that can be reprinted and posted in school offices and health centers. The flyers, one in English and one in Spanish, are reprinted with permission of the Douglas County Health Department, Omaha. These files are in portable document format (pdf). To view these pages, you may download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe web site at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. The Poison Control Center's phone numbers are 800-222-1222 or (402) 955-5555 (in Omaha.)