PLACING plants in your home can do wonders with livening up your rooms and making them feel cosy.
But a medic has warned parents that some of these plants could pose a danger to their children.
Some plants you have in your home could cause toxic symptoms in your kids
Casey from the baby and first aid page CPR Kids warned parents to keep certain types of greenery well out of the reach of their kids, as they could be toxic.
From skin irritation to difficulty breathing and vomiting, these pretty shoots can cause a range of nasty symptoms depending on your child’s level of exposure to them, the medic said.
And it’s quite possible you already have one in your home, as they’re available in many a plant shop.
“We aren’t saying you need to get rid of these plant babies, just make sure they are out of reach from little hands,” Casey noted.
She added that some could also be toxic to your pets, before naming five plants its best to be vigilant about.
The medic assigned each a toxicity rating, either category 2 or category 3 – in some cases both.
Explaining what each one meant, Casey said category 2 meant a plant was “potentially toxic, depending on the level of exposure”.
Anything at this level “should not be grown in preschools, playgrounds, child care settings, and access should be restricted in homes with toddlers or young children”, she went on.
Casey noted that this includes homes where young children may visit, such as their grandparents’.
“Parents and carers should supervise carefully,” the medic added.
Meanwhile, category three plants could irritate your tot’s skin and eyes due to their sap, prickles, spines or stinging hairs.
“Keep out of reach of toddlers and children,” Casey cautioned, adding that many common prickly or spiny plants now have non-spiny varieties available.
1. Dumbcane (Dieffenbanchia)
Dumbcane leaves can cause an intense burning sensation if chewedCPR Kids
Posting a video to the CPR Kids page, the first plant Casey named as possibly toxic to your kids was the dumbcane.
She gave it a toxicity category of 2, 3.
“The leaves, if chewed, will cause copious salivation and an intense burning sensation, followed by a swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, and throat,” the medic explained.
“This causes difficulty in breathing and swallowing, as well as making the tongue immobile rendering the person speechless,” which Casey said could continue for several days.
It’s not just chewing of the dumbcane’s leaves that parents should be worried about.
Handling the plant may also cause skin irritation.
2. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Peace lilies can cause contact dermatitis if brushed against or handledCPR Kids
The second plant Casey pointed out was the peace lily.
“This plant, if eaten, can produce a tingling or burning sensation, followed by swelling of the lips, mouth and tongue.
“Contact dermatitis may also occur in sensitive individuals,” she added, assigning it a toxicity category of 2, 3.
Contact dermatitis is is a type of eczema triggered by contact with a particular substance, which usually fades if the substance causing the problem is identified and avoided, according to the NHS.
It causes the skin to become itchy, blistered, dry and cracked.
While lighter skin can become red, darker skin can become dark brown, purple or grey.
This reaction usually occurs within a few hours or days of exposure to an irritant or allergen.
3. Pothos (Epipremnum)
All parts of the Pothos plant contain needle-like calcium oxalate crystalsCPR Kids
It’s pretty common to have a pot of pothos is your home.
But the child first aid expert warned that “all parts of the plant contain needle-like calcium oxalate crystals, which if chewed or eaten, can cause immediate pain or a burning sensation and swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, and throat”.
It’s sap can also cause contact dermatitis, as well as eye irritation.
Casey gave the plant a toxicity category of 2, 3.
4. Zanzibar gem (Zamioculas zamiifolia)
All parts of the Zanzibar gem are poisonousCPR Kids
“All parts of the plant are poisonous,” Casey warned parents.
Parents should keep Zanzibar gems well out of reach from their exploratory little ones, as it “can cause immediate pain or a burning sensation and swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue and throat” if chewed or swallowed.
Sensitive tots may also get contact dermatitis from brushing against or touching it.
Casey gave this plant a 2, 3 rating.
5. String-of-pearls (Curio rowleyanus)
Your little one might be tempted to pop the pearls in their mouthCPR Kids
These pretty vines are aptly named, as they look like a string of green pearls hanging out of a pot.
Your tot might be tempted to pick at the pearls and put them in their mouth, but ingesting them could cause “minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhoea”.
And contact with the plant’s sap may cause skin irritation or rash, Casey added.