asked the Minister for Health the number of children admitted to hospital with suspected poisoning from medicines for each of the years 1970 to 1979 inclusive.
Written Answers. - Child Poisonings.
19.
According to information supplied under the hospital in-patient inquiry to the Medico-Social Research Board, the number of children under 15 years of age who were admitted to hospitals covered by the inquiry suffering from the adverse effects of medicines during each of the years 1973 to 1978 were:
|
1973 |
764 |
|
1974 |
768 |
|
1975 |
927 |
|
1976 |
958 |
|
1977 |
633 |
|
1978 |
838 |
While the hospital in-patient inquiry does not yet cover all hospitals, it is likely that the great majority of cases of children suffering from adverse effects of medicines are included in these figures because the principal hospitals dealing with such cases are covered by the inquiry. Figures for the years prior to 1973 are not included because of inadequate coverage of hospitals in the in-patient inquiry in that period. Figures for 1979 are not yet available.
20.
asked the Minister for Health the percentage of reported child poisonings which result from the consumption of household products.
About 40 per cent of the cases of poisoning in children aged ten years and under which are reported to the Poisons Information Centre at Jervis Street Hospital relate to the consumption of household products.