Growing Up with Plants

Plants add beauty to our homes. Plants
and flowers are lovely in parks and gardens.
But many plants can be dangerous. Poison
ivy can cause a rash. Roses and some types
of cactus have thorns. Some plants contain
poison in the leaves, seeds or flowers. There
are too many poisonous plants to name
here. A few common ones are chinaberry,
English ivy, lantana and oleander. Curious,
crawling babies often want to play with
plants.

Here are some plant safety tips:

• Know the name of every plant in and around your home. Find out
  which ones are poisonous.
• If you have houseplants, put them out of reach. Store seeds and bulbs
  where your child cannot get them.
• Remember that holiday plants can be poisonous. These include
  mistletoe, holly and poinsettia.
• Encourage your baby to smell flowers and leaves. But don’t let her
  put them in her mouth.
• Don’t eat wild plants, especially mushrooms.
• Don’t make whistles, toys, garlands or wreaths from unknown plants.
• Learn to identify poison oak and poison ivy. Don’t touch the leaves,
  stems, or roots.

What if your child gets into poison oak or poison ivy?

As soon as possible:

1. Take off all her clothes.

2. Wash her skin well with soap and water.

3. Wash the clothes and shoes with hot water and soap.

If she develops a rash, call your doctor.

Ten safe plants for your home

These 10 plants are not poisonous. But plants may cause different
reactions in different people. So make sure your child does not try to eat
them. Teach her to pet the leaves instead.

This content has been provided freely by CMC. Click Healthy Start, Grow Smart—Your-Ten-Month-Old for your free download. Click GreatDad Free Ebook to download the entire Health Start, Grow Smart series.

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