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What to do if…
your child may have swallowed a medicine or unknown substance but seems fine so far

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Get urgent medical advice now, even if your child looks fine. If you think they may have swallowed, touched, or breathed in something harmful, call 999 or go to A&E; if you are not sure whether it is harmful and they are completely well, call 111 for urgent advice.

Do not do these things

  • Do not “wait and see” just because they look fine right now.
  • Do not try to make them vomit.
  • Do not give them anything to eat or drink unless 999, 111, or an A&E clinician tells you to.
  • Do not give other medicines, including painkillers, unless you are told it is safe.
  • Do not rely on guesswork, internet dosing charts, or reassurance from how they look at the moment.
  • Do not drive them yourself to A&E if they may become seriously unwell; call 999 or ask another adult to drive.

What to do now

  1. Check for emergency warning signs now. Call 999 or go to A&E if your child has trouble breathing, is very hard to wake, collapses, has a seizure, or you think they may have swallowed, touched, or breathed in something harmful.
  2. Stop any further exposure. Take the medicine, liquid, plant, chemical, or container away. If you can easily see tablets, liquid, powder, or fragments in the mouth, gently remove them without forcing your fingers into the mouth.
  3. Find the packaging without delaying urgent help. Keep the bottle, blister pack, label, plant, packet, or container. Note the product name, strength if shown, how much may be missing, when it may have happened, and your child’s age and approximate weight.
  4. Call the right urgent service and follow instructions exactly.
    • England: call 111 if you are not sure it is harmful and your child is well. For a child under 5, call 111 rather than using 111 online.
    • Scotland: call 111 (NHS 24) if you are not sure it is harmful and your child is well.
    • Wales: call 111 (NHS 111 Wales) if you are not sure it is harmful and your child is well.
    • Northern Ireland: if your child is well and has no symptoms, contact your GP or GP out-of-hours for advice. If you cannot access advice quickly and it may be a medication or hazardous product, go to the nearest emergency department.
    • Any UK nation: if you think it is harmful or symptoms appear, call 999 or go to A&E.
  5. Take the packaging or substance with you. Have the packaging ready during the call, and take it to A&E if you are told to attend. If your child vomits and you can safely collect a small sample without delaying help, keep it for clinicians.
  6. Keep watching until you have been assessed or clearly told what to do. Symptoms can start later. If your child vomits, becomes unusually sleepy, seems confused or agitated, has breathing trouble, has a seizure, faints, or develops blue or grey lips or skin, call 999 immediately.

What can wait

  • You do not need to calculate an exact dose before calling; rough estimates plus the packaging are enough.
  • You do not need to work out how it happened right now.
  • You do not need to clean up, search online, or decide whether anyone is “to blame” before getting urgent advice.
  • You do not need to decide now whether observation, tests, or treatment will be needed.

Important reassurance

It is common for children to look okay at first after a possible ingestion, and many incidents turn out to be low risk. Getting advice immediately is still the safest step because some symptoms can take hours or days to appear.

Scope note

These are first steps only, focused on immediate safety and urgent triage. Later decisions about observation, tests, treatment, or follow-up depend on what was taken and clinical assessment.

Important note

This is general information, not medical diagnosis, treatment, or professional advice. If you suspect a child may have swallowed, touched, or breathed in a potentially harmful substance, seek urgent professional advice immediately and follow local emergency instructions.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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