Iron tablets are available without a prescription. But that doesn't mean they aren't deadly to children. As few as ten 60 milligram iron pills can kill a small child. Iron ingestion is a leading cause of poisoning deaths in young children.
Doctors in Ontario, Canada, studied the records of 40 children under three years old who were hospitalized for iron poisoning. They found that over 40% of the mothers of these children were either pregnant or had given birth within the preceding six months.
The children admitted for iron poisoning were compared to matched children admitted for other reasons. The children with mothers who were either pregnant or had given birth within six months were twice as likely to be admitted for iron poisoning as children whose mothers weren't pregnant or hadn't given birth within the six months before the admission.
They found a similar situation with acetaminophen poisoning. Having a pregnant mother or a new sibling doubles the chances the child will take a serious dose of this drug.
The researchers concluded that "Pregnancy (in a mother) is a major risk factor for iron poisoning in young children, and the period immediately after delivery is associated with the greatest risk." Such poisonings are easy to prevent. Parents need to keep all medicines in child resistant bottles and put those bottles in a locked cabinet out of a child's reach.
Canadian Medical Association Journal, 6/10/03
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