Low Risk
Also known as:
Aleene's Tacky Glue® clear glue Elmer’s Glue® glitter glue glue stick Gorilla Glue® hot glue sticks Mod Podge® paste school glue wood glue
School or white glue is very different from super glue. If someone has been exposed to super glue there is a risk for fingers being stuck together or getting stuck to an object as fingers to a table. Call the Missouri Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 if there has been an incident with super glue.
Note: If your child gets this substance into their eyes, call the Missouri Poison Center now for help on how to rinse the eyes.
Glues teachers or parents use for craft and school projects are often left sitting out open on the table, making them an easy reach for young children. Ingestion (or swallowing) of “school glue,” sometimes referred to as white or paper glue, is not expected to cause many symptoms. The ingredients include water and a small amount of polyvinyl acetate, a bonding chemical. The polyvinyl acetate molecules move past each other when wet but will set firm when dry. This is how they stick things together. Paste is very similar to glue but is made up of a starch (such as flour) mixed with water.
Ingestion of small amounts of glue or paste by children during an unsupervised moment is not an emergency but can cause minor stomach upset. If you find your child eating it, take it away from him or her. Wipe any visible substance from around their mouths and fingers, and then wipe out the mouth with a soft, wet cloth. After that, have the child drink some water to wash it down into the stomach.
If you find your child with SUPER GLUE, there are additional concerns. This substance creates a much stronger bond. Fingers can be stuck together or stuck to objects such as a table. Be safe and call the Missouri Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 if there has been an incident with super glue. The poison center is open all day, every day, for poisoning emergencies and questions.
This information does not apply to hot, wood, tacky, epoxy, resin, rubber, model glue/adhesive, spray adhesive, or polyurethane adhesives.
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