What to Do if Your Child Suffers from Food Poisoning

 Posted on September 23, 2015 in Food Poisoning

As a parent, the thought of your child being injured or falling ill when you are not available to protect him or her is likely one of your greatest fears. Although you do all that you can to protect your child from harm, part of growing up is spending time away from parents and learning to make independent decisions. Your child could be exposed to contaminated food at school, at friends' homes, and in public places like food courts, restaurants, and snack stands. Although you can not prevent food poisoning from happening to your child, you can make sure he or she gets the treatment he or she needs to recover.

In some cases, food poisoning is severe enough to require substantial medical care. If this is the case for your child, you might be able to recover monetary compensation for the cost of this medical care through a food poisoning claim. This is a type of personal injury claim that can cover costs associated with food poisoning treatment. Discuss this option with an experienced food poisoning attorney to determine if you have grounds for a claim.

Know the Symptoms

The symptoms of food poisoning include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal pain

These symptoms do not necessarily mean your child has suffered from food poisoning. Look for other clues in conjunction with one or more of the symptoms listed above to determine if he or she is suffering from food poisoning or another issue, such as food sensitivity. If your child begins to feel ill almost immediately after or even during the meal, or if others who ate the same dish or food from the same vendor become ill, it is most likely food poisoning.

React Appropriately

Food poisoning can often be addressed without professional medical care. Provide your child with plenty of liquids and consider giving him or her a nutritional supplement such as Pedialyte. If he or she has a fever that will not go down or other signs of a serious infection, contact your pediatrician.

It is much easier to address food poisoning in an older child than it is in an infant. With infants, be wary of excessive fussiness, bloody stools, or vomiting that lasts three days or longer. These can be signs of food poisoning in infants.

Food Poisoning Attorneys in Illinois

Because of their immature immune systems, children are more easily affected by food-borne illnesses than adults. If your child has suffered from food poisoning after consuming contaminated food, you may be able to recover monetary compensation for the expenses associated with his or her illness. To learn more about this process and determine your legal rights as the parent of a child who has suffered from food poisoning, contact the Law Offices of Newland & Newland, LLP to schedule your initial legal consultation with a member of our firm. Our team of food poisoning attorneys has more than 20 years of experience handling this type of case.