Parents looking for safer or legal alternatives to fireworks during the holiday weekend could be tempted to turn to glow sticks.
While glow sticks and glow jewelry can be a less fiery way to light up the holiday evenings, an Oklahoma poison center wants parents to be mindful.
The Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information said poison centers manage increasing numbers of calls about exposure to the chemicals inside glow products during Independence Day weekend.
“Because of their attractive shapes and colors, glow products are very tempting for children to place in the mouth,” the center said in a release. “In doing so, the child may bite into and puncture the product, allowing the liquid to leak out and be swallowed or splash into the eye.”
Seeing a child with a glowing liquid coating their mouth can be extremely concerning, but the center says a mouthful of the liquid is “minimally toxic” and should only cause minor mouth, throat or skin irritation.
Any liquid on the skin should be washed off with soap and water. If swallowed, parents should gently wipe skin around the mouth and give the child something to drink.
If splashed into the eyes, the glow liquid needs to be thoroughly irrigated.
Call a local poison control center immediately for treatment recommendations following any exposure to glow products.
Additionally, observe children closely to help prevent glow product mishaps that could cause a fun day to end painfully.
