The Dangers of Baby Oil......

[live4today, RN]

The other day I was watching Oprah, and a couple was on her show talking about their baby boy who died from having ingested "Baby Oil".

They were warning parents to please keep baby oil out of the reach of their little ones. Apparently the father had placed the children down for a nap, came into the room and saw that the two kids were playing with the baby oil. He didn't think to see if they had tasted the baby oil.

To make a long story brief...the one child was having difficulty breathing at pre-school a couple days later....child taken to hospital.....testing proved the baby had indeed aspirated some of the baby oil into its lungs.....the baby died from that.

This has been on my mind and heart ever since I saw it on Oprah the other day. Perhaps I'm meant to share it with all of you so that you will use precautions with the very baby products that we moms use to make our babies and small children smell so heavenly.

Who would have ever thunk something like that would occur from baby oil??? Not I! Pass on this useful information to all moms and moms-to-be so that they will never leave baby oil.....or any other baby product in places where small children and babies can get a hold of them. If this message saves the life of one child, then I'm glad I posted it here.

Thank you!

Cheerfuldoer :kiss

[pollux, RN]

Same thing with mineral oil!!! you should NEVER give it to children below 2yrs old. there is a great risk of aspiration and the child could have permanent damage , if not die from it. I had a young child with CF who was prescribed Mineral oil for his constipation and he spent 6 mo with us in hospital after as a consequence.....

[KarenAR]

Thank you for that reminder! I am copying and forwarding your message to my friends with little ones.

-K.

[live4today, RN]

Pollux......if I were the parent of the child that spent six months in the hospital due to some doc's ignorance by prescribing mineral oil for that child, I would have sued! Did those parents sue him/her? Wow! Poor wittle baby. :kiss

KarenAR...you are welcome. I think information like this is definitely important for parents to know. Perhaps nurses who work in pedi and newborn and mother/baby should share this information with their parents when they have the opportunity to do so.....before the parents take baby home for the first time....before a pedi child is discharged from the hospital...etc.

Good for you for passing it on to your friends. BTW...nice to see you and Pollux aboard here at Allnurses! Welcome! :balloons:

[Jolie, BSN]

The same applies to the use of Vaseline and other oil or petroleum-based products for lip care and nares care for NICU infants. They should never be used because of the risk of inhalation and pneumonia. I can't tell you how many NICU nurses are unaware of this. Only water-based products such as Surgilube should be used!

OK, I'll step off my soapbox now.

[Mattigan, RN]

Baby powder is bad, also.

[pollux, RN]

No they did not sued. They loved the team and felt already overwhelmed with the new diagnosis of CF. I really see physician being sued in canada. May be it should be done more often but it is quite rare.... All I can say is that this team is great but what an awful mistake. I have learned for the rest of my life

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Thank you so much for sharing this, Renee............I'll be sure to let my dd know!! Good lord, who'd have thought baby oil could actually kill a baby?? I used the stuff all the time on my kids when they were little, and never thought a thing of it. Granted, they never tried ingesting it, but still......Wow!!