Recalls on food and products are commonly publicized, but what happens if you miss an announcement or forget to throw something away?
One family believes that is what sent their 5-year-old to the hospital after weeks of stomach issues.
“It’s just a kids snack, something he likes. So, I thought it was safe to give him,” said Kayla Comeaux.
Comeaux is talking about goldfish crackers, which she says about five weeks ago, she fed them to her five-year-old Leiam without thinking twice.
“He woke up in the middle of the night that night and started throwing up and diarrhea and he was sick like that for two weeks straight,” Comeaux says.
The symptoms Leiam explained sounded a lot to his mom like listeria, an uncommon disease that, according to pediatricians, leads 1 in 5 of its victims to their grave.
“So each year its about 150 to 200 that will die from it. so not many people have it, but it’s a pretty good morbidity if you do have it,” said pediatrician Beau Clark.
Humans who contract the illness get it from their food and the best defense is prevention.
“One is chill, keep your fridge below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer below zero degrees. and then clean, really washing vegetables and fruits underwater, washing your hands twenty seconds before and after touching raw food,” Clark said.
Clark also advised keeping clean surfaces in the refrigerator, freezer and on counters and avoiding any cross contamination. Websites like foodsafety.gov can be helpful with strict guidelines so your family doesn’t have to suffer.
“We just want people to be aware that it can happen to them. it’s closer than they think and just to be careful,” Comeaux said.
Leiam is finally back home after spending a few days in a hospital. Doctors will be monitoring his recovery over the next couple weeks.
