About thirty kids are home safe with their families after drinking water that contained a small amount of bleach in a mix up at a New Jersey day care center. More than two dozen children were rushed to the emergency room after drinking the bleach-water mixture accidentally given to them by a substitute teacher at The Growing Tree II Learning Center in New Jersey.
According to Jersey City Fire Department officials the substitute teacher/aide was giving water to the children, aged 3 to 4, when the incident occurred about 10 a.m. “Instead of using the water from the cooler, she mistakenly used a bottle of water that had bleach in it that the teachers use for cleaning,” officials said. ABC 7 reports that the concentration of bleach used in the mixture was low. After realizing the mistake, the children were transported in five ambulances to a local hospital for examination.
Swallowing sodium hypochlorite, one of the chemicals in household bleach, in small doses generally produces a mild upset stomach. Swallowing larger amounts of the liquid could cause more serious symptoms such as pain in the throat or mouth and burning the lining of the esophagus. Generally day care providers are advised to label cleaning supplies and harmful chemicals in containers that cannot be mistaken as a drinkable substance. Bleach mixed with water is a common cleaning solution and has a likelihood of being mistaken for water if not labeled properly.
Luckily, none of the children suffered serious injuries. “We don’t think the amount they ingested is significant,” said hospital spokesman Mark Rabson. All the children were treated and released from the hospital the same day. Hospital officials said they will work with Poison Control to determine follow up treatment options.