1.
Plant poisonings comprise 5% of all hospitalizations due to
poisonings in children and plant inquiries to
Poison Information Centre consist about 28% of calls concerning children. 2. A search of 71 cases of hospitalization due to plants in a 5 year period obtained from two children's hospitals in Helsinki were reviewed and 105 plant inquiries concerning
poisonings among children to the
Poison Information Centre in a 6 month period were studied. 3. The most frequent
plant poisonings involved lily-of-the-valley, dumb
cane and cotoneaster plant. Only 11% of the cases treated in hospital were evaluated to be unequivocal
poisonings. 4. Mezereon, snowberry, cotoneaster plant, honeysuckle, and woody nightshade caused the most serious symptoms. Symptoms in mezereon
poisoning were increased saliva excretion, haematuria and diarrhoea in a 1.2-year-old girl. Snowberries caused a semicomatose state and difficulty in urination, cotoneaster caused severe stomach ache, honeysuckle abudant gastrointestinal symptoms and
muscle cramps, and nightshade led to prolonged high
fever and sweating. 5. It appears that almost all
plant poisonings could be treated with medical
charcoal. Gastric evacuation is seldom required.