A nursery staff saved a baby boy's life after suffering a severe allergic reaction. Dominic Whitham, or Doodles, was playing at the Astbury Lane Nursery in Congleton when the staff noticed red blotches appearing on his face.
The workers, thinking that the boy may go into total anaphylactic shock, immediately contacted the mom, Kerri-Louise Whitham, and administered his allergy medication, Daily Record reports.
Severe allergies to oral medication
Dominic experienced a severe reaction to his oral medication for a skin condition on March 23. The mom said she could see right away that her son's lips started swelling, his eyes were getting puffy, and his lips were turning a deep red. His allergy medication seemed to have spread in 10 to 15 minutes.
She said her son was fighting for his breath, and he just had lots of shallow, quick breathing. The doctor instructed the mom to take Doodles to the hospital to ensure that the symptoms do not worsen. There, the doctors closely monitored Doodles as the allergy medicine wore off. According to the mom, the medication administered early on in the reaction prevented the progress of Doodle's allergic symptoms.
The doctor said they were lucky that the reaction did not worsen and that the allergic reaction was only limited to face swelling. His throat did not close; otherwise, the boy could have gone into full anaphylactic shock.
Doodles have 15 known allergens, including latex, avocado, milk, and beef. He also has breathing problems and neonatal absence syndrome.
According to Standford Children, neonatal abstinence syndrome happens when babies are exposed to drugs in the womb before birth. Dominic's mom was exposed to morphine when she suffered a spine injury due to an accident at 16 years old.
It took a week for Doodle's allergic reactions to subside. However, the situation could have been worse had the nursery not acted so fast.
Nursery manager Kat Smithers said she is proud of her team. When they noticed the red marks on Dominic's face, they instantly sprung into action and provided the boy with the necessary treatment.
The manager also said that her team taking control of the situation after knowing that something was wrong shows how serious they are in their role. The mom, Kerri-Louise, noted that the nursery was incredible with her son's allergies, and it is a testament to the quality of care they provide to the kids.
Preparing for an allergy emergency
According to Kidshealth, for parents whose kids have life-threatening allergies, it is crucial that:
- If the doctor prescribes epinephrine auto-injectors for emergencies, ensure that two are always with the child or the adult caring for the child in case one does not work or the child needs another dose.
- Know the signs of anaphylactic reaction such as trouble breathing, rash, swelling, repeated vomiting, loss of consciousness, and wheezing, and prepare to act quickly. Use the epinephrine auto-injector if the child has one severe symptom or has two or more mild to severe symptoms.
- Practice how to use the auto-injector.
- If the child has a severe reaction, use the auto-injector, then call 911 immediately.
