Abstract

We conducted a population based time-trend analysis of all unplanned admissions to National Health Service hospitals for poisoning in preschool children (aged <5 years) in England, between 2000 and 2011. Hospital admission rates for poisoning (medicinal and non-medicinal) decreased overall from 179 per 100 000 in 2000 to 139 per 100 000 in 2011 (rate ratio 0.77, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.81). The relative risk of hospital admission from the most deprived quintile compared with the least deprived quintile reduced from 2.37 (95% CI 2.15 to 2.60) in 2001 to 1.54 (95% CI 1.40 to 1.70) in 2011. Poisoning admissions in preschool children have decreased by 23% over the past decade. Although social gradients have narrowed, those from the most deprived areas are at higher risk of poisoning, and may benefit from targeted schemes of home safety education in deprived areas.