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Toddler and laburnum
A quick google search for Laburnum Poison brought up several interesting
items including this extract from http://medtox.org/info/pdq/web%20summer%202003.pdf Poisoning in Children: Laburnum Laburnum (also known as golden rain/ chain) is a smallish, decorative tree often planted in parks and gardens. In late spring it is covered in flowing bright yellow flowers. Seeds develop in pea-like pods in summer and often remain on the tree all winter. Case report1: At a barbeque 3 children had their own party further down the garden where they had found a tree with 'peas' on it. They were caught nibbling these 'peas' by a parent who had heard laburnum was very poisonous and were rushed to hospital. A 3 year-old boy who had eaten 4 seeds remained well. A 5 yearold girl vomited twice on arrival and had colicky abdominal pain and a 4 year-old boy who said he had eaten 1 pod experienced profuse vomiting, tachycardia and twitching. The children all recovered with supportive care. Comment: All parts of the tree especially the bark and seeds contain the toxin cytisine which resembles nicotine. Fortunately ingestion of laburnum usually causes only gastrointestinal upset. Severe intoxication is rare but may result in neurological symptoms. Effects may appear within 1 hour2 and include 'burning' of the oropharynx, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Headache, dizziness, confusion, dilated pupils, clammy skin, tachycardia, pyrexia, dyspnoea and drowsiness are possible later. Recovery is usually complete within 12-24 hours. Massive amounts of cytisine could cause hallucinations, convulsions, respiratory failure, coma and even death3. Children should be given activated charcoal if they have eaten more than 5 seeds. Asymptomatic patients should be observed for a minimum of 6 hours post ingestion. Laburnum seeds are usually ingested by 5- 10 year-olds rather than toddlers!FN Refs: 1. NPIS(L) 95/105355 2. Fuller TC, McClintock E (1986). Poisonous Plants of California. University of California Press: Berkeley, California. 3. Cooper MR, Johnson AW (1998). Poisonous Plants and Fungi in Britain, Ed. 2. The Stationery Office: London. Key point: Systemic toxicity may occur following ingestion of laburnum seeds -- David Hill Abacus nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk |
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