Never leave anything your baby could swallow within their reach.
That’s the message from one mother whose young daughter is seriously ill in hospital after swallowing a herbal oil.
Jessica Landim from Toxteth in Liverpool was at home with her eleven-month-old Leila last Friday when the infant managed to grab her mum’s camphor oil off her bed and drink some.
Within moments she began to react to the oil.
“She started coughing in a desperate way – I thought she was choking,” Jessica told the Liverpool Echo.
“She was having mini-seizures, her lips turned blue and really big. Then her tongue was rolling around out of her mouth, and she was only breathing every five to 10 seconds.
“There was lots of oil on her clothing. She was foaming at the mouth too, and looking through me. I was shaking.”
Camphor oil is a common health product used for everything from treating burns to eliminating gas and boosting blood circulation.
It’s also used in reed diffusers.
The baby was rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and placed on life support.
Almost a week later, she’s breathing with the help of a machine as her family wait to see of she will improve.
Her mother is warning others to be wary of any liquids around the home.
“These are household essentials, and I don’t think people realise how serious it can get – we didn’t,” she said.
“But I’m in no way giving up – I can’t. I just want whatever can be done to get my baby back.”
