Kids seem to have an internal motor that compels them toward inquisitive behavior and constant discovery. That often manifests itself in creative play and learning. Unfortunately, and for many thousands of children each year, it also leads to contact with household cleaning products that can injure and even kill them.

Child injuries from household toxins are a long-standing national concern. Findings from a recent study by the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus indicate that home cleaning products accounted for nearly 270,000 emergency room visits by kids under the age of 5 between the years 1990 and 2006.

Consider the case of young Keegan Ensign, from Lewis Center, Ohio. His mom, Tamara, relates how she recently left a bottle of dish detergent within Keegan's reach "for a split second." Though Keegan was not severely injured by drinking from the bottle, "he was wheezing, coughing and blowing bubbles as he was trying to talk."

Injury experts say that poisoning cases are on the decline, overall. However, spray bottles are accounting for increasingly more child injuries, owing perhaps to parents not properly closing bottles when they are finished using them.

Here is what Nationwide Children's Hospital suggests to reduce the risk of child injuries related to cleaning products. First, keep toxins under lock and key - just don't let kids near them. Second, don't transfer them from their original containers; kids are justifiably fooled, for example, by bleach inside a water bottle. And importantly, escalate things quickly if you suspect your child has come into contact with a household cleaner. Tamara Ensign states that she has the National Poison Control Center phone number taped on her kitchen cabinet. Experts like that idea.

Related Resource: aolhealth.com "Injuries Involving Spray Bottles on the Rise" August 2, 2010