Food Poisoning in Daycare

[LadyC2020]

So I think my daughter got food poisoning from her daycare. Over the last 3 weeks my daughter (1 1/2 yes old) hasn't been eating lunch at daycare so I decided to make her lunch from home. The second day, I made her toast with cheese and packed 1 yogurt. Around 3:00 her daycare called saying she had yogurt as her afternoon snack and threw up after eating it. She threw up about 5 times.

When I got to the daycare they said the food was prepared well and her yogurt was put in the fridge but I think they are lying. I think they left her yogurt out since morning. Her doctor believes the yogurt was the cause of her vomiting.

At this point I don't know what to do or believe. Has anyone experienced something like this? can someone please provide some advice.

[Michael]

Welcome to the forum. Here’s another thread on food poisoning: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46514

You no longer trust them, so it is best not to return your child into their care. Pay the notice period and seek other care arrangements.

There are many reasons why a child may vomit. The yogurt is one possibility.

Thank you for posting this. It reinforces my no food from home policy.

What time is afternoon snack? Here it is 2:45/3:00. How long for food poisoning to kick in?

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by LadyC2020

So I think my daughter got food poisoning from her daycare. Over the last 3 weeks my daughter (1 1/2 yes old) hasn't been eating lunch at daycare so I decided to make her lunch from home. The second day, I made her toast with cheese and packed 1 yogurt. Around 3:00 her daycare called saying she had yogurt as her afternoon snack and threw up after eating it. She threw up about 5 times.

When I got to the daycare they said the food was prepared well and her yogurt was put in the fridge but I think they are lying. I think they left her yogurt out since morning. Her doctor believes the yogurt was the cause of her vomiting.

At this point I don't know what to do or believe. Has anyone experienced something like this? can someone please provide some advice.

Her doctor knows only what you told him/her.
What makes the doctor so sure it was the yogurt?
Was there any testing done?

Could she possibly just have a stomach bug?
Was anyone else at daycare sick?

I thought food poisoning takes a few days to appear verses immediately after eating the "suspect" food.

Also how long is she at daycare? Is that all you packed for her? Does she eat lunch from daycare or something else you sent? Toast with cheese and a yogurt doesn't sound like a very balance/healthy lunch to me nor does it sound like enough for lunch AND snack.

I don't know....I'd like to hear more details.

[e.j.]

I googled food poisoning and from what I read, it can happen within 2-6 hours of eating a contaminated food.

I don't think I'd immediately jump to blame your day care provider, though. Is it possible your child is sensitive or allergic to dairy? (I have a child here who vomits if she eats any kind of dairy.) If it was the yogurt that made her sick, it's possible it was bad when you bought it. Anything could have happened between the processing of the yogurt, the packaging of it, the transportation to the grocery store, the stocking of the refrigerator at the store.... All you have to do is listen to the news. There seem to be a lot of cases of foodborne illnesses and recalls lately.

Unless your provider has given you reason to believe she's lying about putting the yogurt in the refrigerator, I think I'd be careful about any accusations you level toward her. If this is the first time your child has been diagnosed with food poisoning while under your provider's care, I wouldn't automatically jump to the conclusion that she's lying about leaving the yogurt out of the fridge. I hope your child feels better soon.

[LadyC2020]

Food poisoning can occur with 30min, it depends on the bacteria. If yogurt is left out for more that 2 hours the bacteria can grow very quickly.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/symptoms.html

Her doctor believes it was the yogurt because of her symptoms. She has no food allergies and eats yogurt all the time at home. Anyways, the yogurt batch is being tested.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by LadyC2020

Food poisoning can occur with 30min, it depends on the bacteria. If yogurt is left out for more that 2 hours the bacteria can grow very quickly.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/symptoms.html

Her doctor believes it was the yogurt because of her symptoms. She has no food allergies and eats yogurt all the time at home. Anyways, the yogurt batch is being tested.

Agree and it’s good that the yogurt was saved to be tested. My son works at JPL and on a lunch break he and 10 others had a meal at a Chinese restaurant that they eat at every week. Within 45 minutes of finishing their meal and back at work, most were vomiting at the same time in the parking lot. I made a report at the Los Angeles Heath Department and they were investigating the very next day. They concluded the eggs that the restaurant uses for their fried rice was contaminated.

[Cat Herder]

It would be unusual for them to be willing to put your child's lunch in the refrigerator. Most places require parents who decide to provide their child lunch to send it in refrigerated bags with an ice pack. They do not accept the responsibility of heating or cooling lunches brought from home. What is your daughters' program policy?

[Jo123ABC]

I wouldn't be so quick to point a finger at the daycare either. I also do not allow food from home and this post reinforces that decision. Parents still do it though. I refuse to store it or serve it if they do. Daycares get blamed for everything.