Be careful with poisonous plants

The news that two children had to be admitted to the National Children's Hospital (Hanoi) for emergency treatment and stomach lavage due to poisoning from eating porridge cooked with daffodil leaves has caused public confusion..This unfortunate incident made many people suddenly realize that they cannot be subjective with the plants grown in the family.

Narcissus is a plant that is grown for decoration and beauty, so it is quite popular and close to every family. However, all parts of this plant contain toxins, especially the bulbs. If you accidentally eat narcissus, it can cause convulsions, inhibit circulation, respiration and coma. The bulbs of this plant can cause burns and irritation to the mucous membranes of the lips, tongue and throat. This plant is in the same family as onions, chives and garlic, so if you do not observe carefully, you will be confused. This is the reason that leads to the above poisoning case. A family mistook daffodils for chives and cooked porridge to treat a child's cough, resulting in heartbreaking consequences. Two children unfortunately ate food containing daffodils and were critically poisoned and had to be monitored for vital functions.

In fact, poisoning from eating poisonous plants is not uncommon. In mid-November, two men in Lang Son were also hospitalized in a state of severe vomiting, weakness in all four limbs, cyanosis, and coma due to eating bellflowers. This plant grows wild in the northern mountainous region and is now also widely available in Hai Duong. This is a herbaceous plant with bell-shaped flowers, white and yellow in color, and very eye-catching in full bloom. Therefore, some families in the province grow bellflowers as ornamental plants without knowing the level of danger from the toxins of this plant. At communal houses and pagodas, this flower is also widely planted to evoke the association with temple bells, increasing the sacred meaning.

Not only daffodils and bellflowers, but also many other poisonous plants such as money tree, oleander, peace lily, parasol tree, pine tree, etc. are also present around every family, agency, unit, and school. The common characteristic of these plants is that they have beautiful, bright, and attractive flowers, so they are often planted in convenient locations for decoration and landscaping. Growers also do not fully understand the dangers of these plants, and carelessly plant them without anticipating the dangers that may occur, especially for children.

Children are naturally mischievous, active, curious, and love to explore, so when they see eye-catching plants, they will want to break them, even put them in their mouths to try. This can lead to unfortunate consequences, affecting the health and even the lives of children. In addition, plants that are easily confused should not be planted close together. Just being careless and not observing carefully will lead to using the plants for the wrong purpose.

To be cautious and alert with poisonous plants, people should only buy and plant them when they know they are really safe. Even if the plant does not contain toxins, it should be planted and placed in the right location. In addition to children, poisonous plants are also a “trap” for the elderly. The elderly often have poor eyesight, making it difficult to observe, identify, and distinguish plants. Therefore, carelessness and negligence in use are inevitable.

The risk of poisoning from flowers and ornamental plants is always latent, especially for children. Therefore, adults need to understand each type of plant in the family. With any type of plant that you intend to plant, you must learn and understand the information and safety level of the plant. Only then can you avoid the uncertainties and dangers that may arise from the plants that are close to your home.