Doctor warns about terrifying ‘granny’s purse syndrome’ that could severely harm children

Granny’s purse syndrome is responsible for up to a fifth of child poisonings and regularly sends children to the hospital.

While you might not be aware of what Granny’s purse syndrome is, it is something worth considering over the holiday period.

Dr. Meghan Martin took to TikTok to address the lesser known syndrome and why it is important to be wary of it as families get together for Christmas.

It might sound made up but it's a real health condition (Peter Dazeley / Getty)

Martin, who goes by Beachgem10 on TikTok insisted that the issue is something every adult should consider for the safety of their children.

She said: “If you are spending time with your family for the holidays, it’s important to know about something called ‘granny syndrome’ or ‘granny’s purse syndrome',

“This is when young kids get into their grandparents’ medications that are not secured properly — for many reasons. One of them is that grandparents are not used to having kids around. Often their medications are on low shelves or in their purses or in medication containers that are not child resistant.”

She also noted that the thought of children getting into their grandparents' medication is not always something that is considered.

However, she stated that as they are children, what is normally considered safe for an adult may be harmful for them and result in hospital visits.

While this may feel like a very specific warning, according to the Absentee Shawnee Tribal health system, children taking medication they shouldn't is the leading cause of child poisoning.

In a report they stated: “Each year, more than 500,000 children under the age of five experience a potential poisoning related to medications.

“More than 60,000 children are treated in emergency departments due to accidental unsupervised ingestions each year.

Children getting easy access to medication is something worth being wary of over the holiday period(Getty Stock Image)

“Up to 20 percent of pediatric poisonings involve a grandparent’s medication. Make sure that all medications in the child’s environment are stored out of reach and out of sight.”

Dr Martin also called on people to be careful about how they deal with their medication in front of children during the holiday season.

She said: “Don’t take medications in front of kids because kids want to mimic what adults do.

“Never refer to medication as candy, medication is not okay to eat, candy is.”

She also highlighted that in the event a child does mistakenly ingest medication in the US you can call 911 or poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

So ahead of the family cheer, no harm in just double checking all your medications are locked away and secure.

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