Forgetting a pellet of cannabis on the living room table or misplacing it on the floor of the house can have serious consequences, in the presence of a toddler. And unfortunately, these situations are not that rare.
Since the start of the year, around ten babies – under three years old – have been admitted to Lenval hospital in Nice after accidental poisoning.
The last serious case dates from August; in a coma after ingesting drugs left in an ashtray, the toddler had to be hospitalized in intensive care.
Faced with the increase in these accidents, Dr Philippe Babe, head of pediatric emergencies at the Nice hospital, alerts parents.
Why this increase in cases?
In the 1950s, the risks of drinking alcohol in young children were the subject of awareness campaigns. Today, this scenario has become very rare, but a new scourge is particularly worrying pediatric services: the significant increase in accidental consumption of cannabis resin among young children.
“This drug is now commonplace in many families, with an upsurge during the summer and during the end-of-year celebrations. summarizes Dr Philippe Babe.
A Marseille study even looked into the subject and noted a 15% increase in cases of cannabis resin intoxication in Paca in recent years.
“Often, parents are not aware of the seriousness of the situation, they forget that cannabis remains a drug and that the impact on children can be disastrous. Especially since the known cases of poisoning only represent the tip of the iceberg.
“There are many incidents that we are not aware of. Therefore, we must redouble our efforts in prevention and information among drug users and parents of young children.”
Another source of concern: that infants will be exposed to even more dangerous products. “Regular users often switch to cocaine. However, the latter is particularly toxic and can even lead to the death of the child in the event of intoxication.”
Who is concerned?
The vast majority of cannabis resin poisonings concern children under three years old. “Because babies put everything in their mouths. They touch, nibble and swallow everything that comes their way. At this age, they don’t ask questions, they are attracted to everything that is at their height. “
Why is it so toxic?
A small pellet is enough to cause serious and worrying poisoning, knowing that “cannabis is in fact more and more concentrated in THC (the psychoactive substance of cannabis)”.
Thus, the average THC content in hashish has tripled in ten years to reach 23% according to a study by the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM).
“In addition, the quantities are more toxic due to the child’s low weight.” We can also, in conscience, ask ourselves the question of the child exposed to cannabis smoke. “At the moment, science still lacks data on this subject.”
What symptoms?
After ingestion, the onset of action is more than an hour. Depending on the quantity ingested and the age of the child, the symptoms encountered are generally nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, dizziness, dilation of the pupils, weakness of muscle tone (hypotonia), and fast, irregular heartbeat (tachycardia).
Acute poisoning can lead to coma, respiratory failure and convulsions. The child may then need to be intubated with prolonged respiratory support.
“Unlike other drugs (such as cocaine), intoxication with cannabis resin does not lead to death, but the after-effects can be very serious and should not be taken lightly.”
How to react in case of poisoning?
If you think your child has ingested cannabis (or another drug) – even if they have no symptoms – the one and only thing you can do is take them to the hospital immediately.
“As with any ingestion of toxic products, do not give anything to drink or eat.“, insists Dr. Babe. It is also essential that parents cooperate.
“Out of shame, some people don’t say right away what happened. However, medical teams must be informed of the baby’s degree of intoxication in order to facilitate the diagnosis and guide treatment.”
How to avoid risks?
The “drug info service” website advises taking cannabis out only when consuming it and putting it away immediately afterwards.
He recommends avoiding handling it in front of children so as not to arouse their curiosity for what could sometimes resemble “chocolate”.
But remember that the consumption and possession of cannabis is prohibited in France, and exposing your child to it can be punishable by a heavy penalty.
In numbers
In 2009, a Marseille study by the Marseille poison control center had already noted an increase in cases of cannabis resin poisoning among young children.
“In the French pediatric population, 86% of patients poisoned by cannabis are under 3 years old. The form mainly involved was cannabis resin cited in 80% of cases and belonging to one of the two parents or those close to them. close, the place of poisoning being the parental home in almost all cases”underlines this same study.
The ANSM national addictovigilance network has reported a constant increase, since 2014, in the number of poisonings due to accidental ingestion of cannabis, mainly among children under 2 years old.
Thus, in 2015-2017, there were 2.5 times more poisonings, 2 times more hospitalizations and 5 times more serious cases with admission to intensive care compared to 2010-2014.
Beware of drug poisoning
Dr Babe also warns about drug poisoning, which is also quite common among young children. “As with cannabis, toddlers are tempted to swallow the product that is within their reach.”
To avoid any risk, medications must be stored in a place out of the child’s reach, up high, in a box and a closed cupboard.
Some pediatric books suggest putting yourself in the child’s place, at their height in their room, crouching or lying down in their play area, under the furniture or in the kitchen, to see what could constitute a risk.