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Last week, my grandsons were babysat by their other grandmother at a relative's house. This house is on several acres and has a large pond, fed by a creek of unknown (to them) origin. DD specifically told her MIL that they were NOT allowed to wade or play in the pond. She should have specified "not in the creek either", but didn't. She didn't want them playing in any of that water, because it was never tested for bacteria, etc. MIL let the oldest wade and splash in the creek, and that night he came down with explosive diarrhea which lasted for three days. He also broke out in severe hives all over his body. His pediatrician ran tests (one of which was a stool sample), speculating it could have been caused by a parasite. He's seeing the doctor tomorrow regarding the results. He's feeling better, the diarrhea has subsided as have the hives.
DD doesn't trust leaving her kids with MIL anymore. The understanding was that she was going to babysit at THEIR house, but announced at the last minute she was going to be at the relative's all day, and would babysit there. DD wasn't in favor of it, but was ovverruled by her DH (and it was too late to make other arrangements).
Has anyone ever heard of this type of reaction? Grandson also confided to DD that a cousin gave him a piece of candy. He couldn't tell her what kind (he isn't allowed to eat candy or accept food unless his parents say he can). DD will be checking into that as well. She doesn't know if it was the candy or the water in the creek. His cousins have been playing in the creek and swimming in the pond all summer, and this hasn't happened to them.
It sounds more like an allergic reaction to food than a reaction to creek water, since his cousins have been in the water all summer and have been fine. I guess you'll have to wait and see what the tests show. If there's no obvious cause in the tests, then he may need allergy testing to figure out what he reacted to. Allergy testing may not show a cause either, if it's something like the flavoring or coloring used in the candy. Sometimes you can't figure out what caused a problem until you're exposed to the same thing a couple more times. My kids both had huge hives all over their bodies a couple of times when they were younger, and I could never completely figure it out. Something in strawberry milk powder or in pink yogurt.
This is one of those situations where you have to take a step back and think about how it would have gone if he hadn't gotten sick. It would have been a great day for him, playing in a creek with a whole troop of cousins like a wild boy, getting to eat a forbidden piece of candy...it was probably the best day of his summer, except for getting sick. His mom should keep that in mind when she's saying she doesn't trust her MIL to babysit anymore.
It sounds more like an allergic reaction to food than a reaction to creek water, since his cousins have been in the water all summer and have been fine. I guess you'll have to wait and see what the tests show. If there's no obvious cause in the tests, then he may need allergy testing to figure out what he reacted to. Allergy testing may not show a cause either, if it's something like the flavoring or coloring used in the candy. Sometimes you can't figure out what caused a problem until you're exposed to the same thing a couple more times. My kids both had huge hives all over their bodies a couple of times when they were younger, and I could never completely figure it out. Something in strawberry milk powder or in pink yogurt.
This is one of those situations where you have to take a step back and think about how it would have gone if he hadn't gotten sick. It would have been a great day for him, playing in a creek with a whole troop of cousins like a wild boy, getting to eat a forbidden piece of candy...it was probably the best day of his summer, except for getting sick. His mom should keep that in mind when she's saying she doesn't trust her MIL to babysit anymore.
My brother and I were just talking about this...I remember how my friends and I used to dam up the streams in the woods behind our house and make mini "swimming pools". We'd get soaking wet playing in our great aunt's creek hunting for crayfish. My mother called our playing in the water "slopping".
DD is pretty overprotective of grandson. He's never been exposed much to chemicals or additives...everything she uses on him or his clothes is "organic"...laundry soap, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and most of all FOOD. His cousins, on the other hand, eat unlimited candy and junk food and are allowed to drink soda. They also have no bedtime in the summer (he has to be in bed at 7:30 when the sun is still shining).
It sounds more like an allergic reaction to food than a reaction to creek water, since his cousins have been in the water all summer and have been fine. I guess you'll have to wait and see what the tests show. If there's no obvious cause in the tests, then he may need allergy testing to figure out what he reacted to. Allergy testing may not show a cause either, if it's something like the flavoring or coloring used in the candy. Sometimes you can't figure out what caused a problem until you're exposed to the same thing a couple more times. My kids both had huge hives all over their bodies a couple of times when they were younger, and I could never completely figure it out. Something in strawberry milk powder or in pink yogurt.
This is one of those situations where you have to take a step back and think about how it would have gone if he hadn't gotten sick. It would have been a great day for him, playing in a creek with a whole troop of cousins like a wild boy, getting to eat a forbidden piece of candy...it was probably the best day of his summer, except for getting sick. His mom should keep that in mind when she's saying she doesn't trust her MIL to babysit anymore.
I like this approach.
I have to say that if I told somebody not to do something with my child and they found some work around with my rule, I would conclude that we needed to have a better conversation.
It looks like mom didn't trust MIL from the beginning. My child does not stay with people I don't trust and my husband would never over rule me. He may try, but he won't. Plans would change. How do you earn my trust? Let's have a conversation about my rule.
Maybe he accidentally ingested some of the water that could cause the diarrhea. The hives is interesting and that part sounds like an allergic reaction.
My brother and I were just talking about this...I remember how my friends and I used to dam up the streams in the woods behind our house and make mini "swimming pools". We'd get soaking wet playing in our great aunt's creek hunting for crayfish. My mother called our playing in the water "slopping".
DD is pretty overprotective of grandson. He's never been exposed much to chemicals or additives...everything she uses on him or his clothes is "organic"...laundry soap, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and most of all FOOD. His cousins, on the other hand, eat unlimited candy and junk food and are allowed to drink soda. They also have no bedtime in the summer (he has to be in bed at 7:30 when the sun is still shining).
So maybe if he hadn't spent his life in a sanitized bubble he would have built up some immunities to average outdoor bacteria and therefore not been susceptible. (Like his cousins)
DD got what she paid for. Guess which kids will be more grateful for their childhood/parenting?
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This sounds like anaphylaxis to me. Having BOTH hives and diarrhea doesn't sound like bacteria from the creek.
It will be interesting to see what the lab tests reveal tomorrow.
I wonder, if the child were being taken care of by grandma and the cousins were around, how your daughter expected to approve every bite of food the child ate in her absence.
On the other hand, if you suspect the cousin purposely tricked your grandson, and gave him exlax or some other similar medication, hives are a fairly common side effect.
Last week, my grandsons were babysat by their other grandmother at a relative's house. This house is on several acres and has a large pond, fed by a creek of unknown (to them) origin. DD specifically told her MIL that they were NOT allowed to wade or play in the pond. She should have specified "not in the creek either", but didn't. She didn't want them playing in any of that water, because it was never tested for bacteria, etc. MIL let the oldest wade and splash in the creek, and that night he came down with explosive diarrhea which lasted for three days. He also broke out in severe hives all over his body. His pediatrician ran tests (one of which was a stool sample), speculating it could have been caused by a parasite. He's seeing the doctor tomorrow regarding the results. He's feeling better, the diarrhea has subsided as have the hives.
DD doesn't trust leaving her kids with MIL anymore. The understanding was that she was going to babysit at THEIR house, but announced at the last minute she was going to be at the relative's all day, and would babysit there. DD wasn't in favor of it, but was ovverruled by her DH (and it was too late to make other arrangements).
Has anyone ever heard of this type of reaction? Grandson also confided to DD that a cousin gave him a piece of candy. He couldn't tell her what kind (he isn't allowed to eat candy or accept food unless his parents say he can). DD will be checking into that as well. She doesn't know if it was the candy or the water in the creek. His cousins have been playing in the creek and swimming in the pond all summer, and this hasn't happened to them.
Creek and pond water has all kinds of bacteria and parasites in it. Little kids are more likely to get it in their mouths than bigger kids, and are more likely to get sick. The very young and the elderly are generally more susceptible to that kind of illness.
Are you asking if we've heard of getting diarrhea from creek or pond water? Absolutely yes. It should never be ingested.
I don't know about the hives. Could be something unrelated. Mom shouldn't freak out or expect to control the food he eats at grandma's unless he's allergic.
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