Carbon monoxide (CO) is now one of the most commonly encountered and pervasive poisons in our environment. It is responsible for more deaths than any other signle poison. It has also caused lasting effects for those with chronic exposure to lower levels of carbon monoxide.

Each year more than 1,700 children ages 5 and under are poisoned by the gas, and there are about 80 reported deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning for children ages 14 and under. The carbon monoxide death rate among children ages 14 and under has basically remained unchanged since 1979, while death rates in other age groups have dropped by approximately half.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that cuts off oxygen to the brain and heart, and can cause death or neurological damage. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often mistaken for the flu. They include:
Headaches
Fatigue
Dizziness
Nausea
Diarrhea.
The danger to infants and children is especially high because they have elevated metabolic rates and the gas accumulates in their bodies faster than in adults. Unborn babies have a greater risk of birth defects, neurological disorders and death when the mother is exposed to carbon monoxide.

Household appliances fueled with gas, oil, kerosene or wood can produce the gas. Some of the common sources of carbon monoxide in the home include malfunctioning furnaces, water heaters, ovens, stoves, gas-fired dryers, clogged chimneys, corroded flue pipes and unvented supplemental heaters. Automobiles left running in attached garages also pose a hazard, ven if the garage doors are open.

The first preventative measure that parents and caregivers should do to protect their families from carbon monoxide poisoning is to purchase carbon monoxide detectors. The carbon monoxide detectors should be installed in every sleeping area of the home and on the ceiling at least 15 feet from fuel burning appliances. If the alarm goes off, leave the house immediately and call the fire department or your local utility company. If a family member shows symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, get medical attention immediately.

Another preventative measure is to make sure space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and wood burning stoves are vented properly and inspected annually. Have your chimney cleaned each year, preferably before cold weather arrives.

Never leave your car's engine, or any gas-powered engine, running in the garage, particularly if it's an attached garage. Also, never use an oven to heat your home.

Using a charcoal grill inside the home, outside an open window, or in an attached garage can also be extremely dangerous. The carbon monoxide gas can very easily contaminate the home in those types of situations.

Carbon monoxide is an extremely dangerous poison. But if parents and other adults are sensitive to the potential dangers and take appropriate actions, the number of deaths and exposure in children can be significantly reduced.

(Bill Brink is an extension educator at the Springfield Extension Center.)