School is out and the weather is beautiful! It’s a great time for a nanny to get outside with her charges. If you heading to the local playground, park or nature preserve you’ll want to be aware of poisonous pants that can be growing in your area. Three of the most common plants are poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. Poison ivy and poison oak have three leaflets per leaf and poison sumac has nine leaflets per leaf.
The oils from these plants can cause redness, itching, swelling, and blisters that can last several weeks. If you’ve come in contact with one of these plants take a shower as soon as possible, scrubbing all affected areas with soap. Wash all clothing immediately as oils can stay on clothing for up to a year.
If you get a rash you can treat it at home by applying a wet cloth or soaking in cool water, use calamine lotion to relieve itching and trying not to scratch the rash. Seek medical attention if the reaction is severe or widespread, the rash affects the face or genitals, blisters are oozing pus, a fever develops greater than 100F, and/or the rash doesn’t get better within a few weeks.
Be aware of poisonous plants commonly found in your area and educate your charges on what to do if they see or come in contact with it. A few helpful resources are www.WebMD.com, www.MayoClinic.org, and your local Natural Resources office. The great outdoors can continue to be a fun place to play and learn.
Bonus Nanny Resources:
| Outdoor Enthusiasts recommend Tecnu cleanser for when you are exposed to Poison Ivy or similar irritants. This is applied to dry skin at point of exposure to release the oils from the skin before the irritation can begin. Even helps after the rash has started, because the rash gets worse the longer the oil is on the skin. Single use packets are convenient for use away from the home. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 2. | ||
| Fels-Naptha soak, used as a laundry soap before the days of automatic clothes washers, has been recommended for more than a century to remove the oils of poison ivy from the skin. Must be used with water. Lather up the effected area, rinse well with warm water, repeat and pat dry. AVOID GETTING IN EYES. |
A special thank you to INA member Amanda Schultz for sharing this information with us. Amanda is a newborn care specialist, and currently serves on the INA Board of Directors as a member-at-large.
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