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| |  Children Are at Greater Risk of Injury or Death From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning CHICAGO, Oct. 14, 1996 -- Children, infants and unborn babies are more vulnerable to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning than healthy adults, according to toxicologists and medical professionals. Younger family members are particularly susceptible due to their higher metabolic rates -- meaning they require more oxygen and use it faster than adults. Carbon monoxide even in small amounts works to restrict oxygen in the bloodstream, thus starving a child's tissues and organs of what is needed to function and develop properly. "Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause neurological problems, learning disabilities, memory loss and personality changes in children and can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth for women exposed during pregnancy," said Dr. Marc Bayer, medical director, Connecticut Poison Control Center. "Because of the higher oxygen requirements of smaller bodies, carbon monoxide's interference with oxygen delivery can lead to permanent damage to a child's developing nervous system," he said. Young children are also vulnerable to misdiagnosis because they cannot fully explain the onset, progression and severity of their symptoms. Additionally, because children spend most of their time in the home, they are more likely to be exposed to carbon monoxide produced by gas, oil, wood or propane burning appliances and heating systems. "Because this toxin is invisible to human senses and the early poisoning symptoms look like other common problems such as the flu, the best way to know if a leak is present is to equip the home with carbon monoxide detectors that have an audible alarm," said Bayer. To provide an early warning of carbon monoxide dangers, First Alert(R), the nation's leading brand of carbon monoxide detectors, has developed a UL listed, extra-sensitive battery-powered detector that will sense carbon monoxide at lower concentrations than plug-in models are designed to detect. The detector will continue to operate in the event of a power outage, a time when alternative heat sources are commonly used and can be mounted out of reach of little fingers -- important to children with families. Families with children, pregnant women, elderly people or anyone with heart or lung disorders may want the added protection of the First Alert bio-sensor technology. The elderly and people with heart and lung disorders are at greater risk of injury or death from carbon monoxide because CO can aggravate a pre-existing condition of restricted oxygen flow in the bloodstream. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that every home in America install at least one carbon monoxide detector with an audible alarm, located near the sleeping area. Additional detectors on every level provide an extra measure of safety.
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