Many mothers living in Nigeria are very conversant with palm-oil. It is believed to be an “eero” or “aporo”in local Yoruba language which translated literally means “that which neutralize poisons” that is AN ANTIDOTE to all and any form of accidental poisonings. Indeed, some extend the use beyond that of poisoning to virtually any illness.
Why palm oil is good for food and a rich source of fats/oil and Vitamin A, it is extremely dangerous as an antidote in children!
So it is often the first thing most mothers reach for at the slightest suspicion that a child has taken any dangerous substance or drugs. The way it is believed to work is that it will neutralize the poison or at least provokes vomiting so the child can get the poison out of their system.
Unfortunately, this practice goes against the basic principles of management of accidental poisoning in children. Indeed it can be dangerous. I will share a recent story to drive home the point.
One day I received a call on a fateful Thursday from one of the Ask The Paediatricians Facebook Group member, well that is not unusual.
“We are being referred to LUTH from a General Hospital….a little boy”
As usual my response “Yes bring the child straight to our Children Emergency Room (CHER). I am not in CHER but let me know when you get there” I usually will try and pass through to know what is going on!
That day was extremely busy and I even forgot about the call till the following day. When I remembered, I called to know how far. I knew she did not end up in LUTH because she would have called me.
Lo and behold, her response “the child died”!!!
What happened?? Why did you not come to LUTH?
After calling me, the referral was changed to another big private hospital – it was a good one with ICU and all (not coming to LUTH is not the point) but the child still died after a few hours in the ICU! Why?? What happened???
A 2 year old vibrant boy (saw his picture) drank one of the popular “bleach” kept in the container of a bottled water unknowingly!!!
Then the panicky but IGNORANT mothers reached for the regular antidote – Palm oil. He was given plenty of palm oil to neutralize the bleach and induce vomiting.
Of course, the child aspirated the oil – that is the danger inherent in giving palm oil.
In the process of vomiting the poison (bleach) and the palm oil which is an hydrocarbon, the fumes of the palm oil entered the lungs causing what we call aspiration pneumonitis and lipoid pneumonia. This leads to respiratory distress and the child could not breathe well.
He was in General Hospital for a couple of days on oxygen but did not get better and needed to be transferred to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hence the referral to LUTH and eventually the Private hospital with specialists and ICU and all but still the child still eventually succumbed.
THE SHOCKER!!! The child did not die from drinking the BLEACH!!!
NO! The cause of death was more from the solution given – the almighty PALM OIL antidote!!!
Put it another way, the child died from IGNORANCE of sincere people!!
PLEASE LET US STOP THIS PALM OIL BEING THE “CURE ALL” where for any ingestion of poison the first thing you reach for is Palm oil to INDUCE VOMITING!!!
IT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS MYTH EVER WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN!!!
GIVING ORDINARY WATER OR MILK TO THIS CHILD TO NEUTRALIZE THE ACID of the bleach without INDUCING FORCEFUL VOMITING would have been great!!!
I am writing this because it grieves me so much anytime a child die UNNECESSARILY…..FROM PREVENTABLE CAUSES. IGNORANCE KILLS!!!
Lessons!
1. DON’T EVER KEEP ANYTHING BUT WATER IN CONTAINER OF BOTTLE WATER OR DRINKS!!!
How do you expect the child to know it is Bleach??? Those of you who keep kerosene, petrol, ota piapia etc in table water or soft drink bottles….PLEASE STOP!!!!
2. KEEP DANGEROUS ITEMS LIKE BLEACH, KEROSENE, PETROL etc OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN!!!
It is bad enough to keep bleach in container of water but making it easily accessible to a toddler is a criminal offence as far as I am concerned. PLEASE LET US BE CHILD SAFETY CONSCIOUS!!!
3. STOP ARCHAIC AND DANGEROUS TREATMENTS OR FIRST AIDS!!!
Any time a child ingests poison especially caustic materials – soda or hydrocarbon like kerosene or petrol…PLEASE DO NOT GIVE PALM OIL!!! DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING!!!
The bleach could have damaged the intestines or a few organs perhaps. Most can be repaired but palm oil aspiration damages the lungs the most vital organ for breathing and being alive!!!
In conclusion a word they said is enough for the wise! Ignorant kills and that is why we have a forum like this to address and corrects child health myths that are dangerous to the health of our children.
Together we can ensure our children live and not die from preventable causes!!!
May the soul of this little one rest in peace!
NB: Shortly after posting this for the first time on Facebook Group and it went viral, I have read lot of comments from those who refused to accept this and believe that since all their forefathers practised the palmoil antidote successfully, they will keep on doing so. My response to such is may experience not be your teacher. As a paediatrician in tertiary setting, I can share with you lot of stories of “Had I know”. Prevention is always better than cure! Escaping before does not mean you can persist in ignorance! I rest my case.
Wow..I keep learning everyday..most ppl are ignorance of this even our mothers bcos now I know better..God bless u for this piece ma..buh giving water or milk to a child that tales bleach or kerosene wont it harm the child stil like the story of the woman you gave.are u saying the baby wouldn’t have died if he was given milk or water at that point???pls shed more light ma..a and like you said its better to keep al those things away from children…May God help us al…
Thank you for reading. Bleach is acidic and it is the acid that is corrosive and destructive to the tissue..giving water or milk will just dilute the concentration of the bleach so that it will not be as corrosive…It is just a temporising measure on the way to the hospital. Vomiting should never be induced in such children
Thanks doc this is an eye opener. Leant a lot
I am glad you did. Thank you for reading!
Thank you this educative and an eye opener.
Thank you
God bless you doctor for saving lives.
Thank u doc. What if a child mistakenly ingest rat poison
Take the child to the hospital immediately. That is an emergency!!! However, kindly KEEP RAT POISONS OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN!!!
This is a great piece, I learned a lot. What about the use of honey and olive oil? Thank you.
As poison antidotes?? Not recommended please. For poisons, kindly take the child to the hospital as fast as you can.
Not as poison antidotes, but in place of palm oil, like the milk and water you suggested above. Thanks ma.
Thanks for reading…keep reading and learning
Hmmm. Learning mode activated.Thx so much ma. My exclusively breastfeed baby will be 6mths in about 2weeks type. Av used the search button to search for complementary foods and complementary feeds ,not fundin anytin related. Pls help ma. God bless u ma
Kindly check on the Facebook Group for now…we will soon upload the articles here as well. All the best
Now, i think i am still finding it a bit difficult to accept. It means our parents had been wrong all this while. WOW!!!!!!! Dr Gbemisola, thank you for this eyes and sense opener. You are a blessing to this generation, may GOD Almighty keep you and your colleagues alive and away from untimely death in Jesus Name
Amen, thank you Abiodun
What of using the Palm oil for colic relief cos my mum used it on my first child. Is it dangerous too? Please I really need to know cos am currently using it for my second child.
PLEASE STOP!!! COLIC does not require the use of palm oil. Kindly read about colic here
Thank you so much Ma for this, remain blessed.
Thank you for reading Amyprofen!
Thanks so much for this piece. It must have been God that kept me. When I was around 3 or 4 years, I can remember wanting to drink from a bottle. I thought it was water, unknown to me it was car battery water. My mum shouted when she saw me with the bottle. She thought I already gulped down the liquid. She rushed me to the kitchen and filled me up with palm oil. Although I was very small and could hardly express myself then, the memory still lingers. Thank God He kept me and I thank you for this priceless information.
You are welcome
This is an eye opener for a first timer like me. Because have heard people used palmoil as antidote for such “occurrence”. Glad I read this and will sure pass the this knowledge to people. Knowledge is key. Thank you sooooo much Doctor for saving us from making lots of mistakes.
You are welcome
Good morning ma. Can we always have this in WhatsApp messages for easier and faster way of sending to friends and everyone who cares? Some people are not always active on Facebook but on other social media. Thank you doctor.
Thank you Pastor Suru for the beautiful suggestion. We will work on production of such video/article that can be shared on whatsapp. Thank you for reading!
Thank you doctor for educating people at their level of understanding. Currently, we depend so much on palm oil as the first antidotes of choice but unfortunately it doesn’t solve everything about recovery from poisoning. I think whatsapp will go a long way to fasten the information. Have a nice day ahead. A case of 6years old who drunk kerosene was taking to the hospital within the week after administering palm oil as local antidotes. The patient is still down with difficult breathing and restless with loss of appetite and was discharged. Going back to the hospital is another money. What do you advise.
Thank you Ukpai. We are working on the whatsapp messages. The child should be taken to a Teaching Hospital as the child is not yet okay!
Thank you doctor for this information, of truly is enlightening and an eye opener.kudos
Thank you for reading Jane!
What about a two year old that drank benzyl benzoate, the mother gave palm oil, after sometime the boy felt like vomiting but didn’t vomit anything and later slept off
Please stop using the Palm oil antidote. Read the article as it can be very dangerous. When kids take in poisonous substances or drugs, please take them to the hospital first!
I was so scared reading this. I gave my son palm oil when he drank nasal drop few weeks ago. I practically forced him as he was not agreeing to take it, he vomitted during the process. His father even tried forcing him to drink plenty but I only gave him little. Wow! The things we do in ignorance. Haa I thank God o that I didn’t have reason to cry over my boy due to ignorance o. Thank you Jesus. Thanks Dr for this great enlightenment. God bless you. Condolences to the family of the child.
You are welcome Bola….Glad you have learnt from reading
May God continue to bless you and give you more wisdom Dr Gbemi. I love you and I love ATP! I’m yet to be a mother but I feel like I’m one already because of all your teachings. I really can’t wait to have my kids so I can start practicing all your teachings already. More Grace ma.
Thank you for your kind words Cheta. I really appreciate it.
Thanks Dr for this,it happens to my sis child yesterday he drank kerosene and immediately I have him lot of palm oil then I gave him youghurt also tea I was very scared…. I just browsed about it this morning and this is what I found out o thanks for this eye opener,God bless you
I am happy you have learnt from this Emiola. Keep reading and learning on ATP
Thanks a lot doc, can milk or water be given to a baby that drank spirit?
Yes and then take to children’s emergency room immediately. Depending on the quantity of spirit drank, the baby’s liver can be damaged so it is better to take to the Emergency room. Kindly keep such products out of the reach of children.
Thanks for this wonderful piece ma,since this article talks more about children. Does palm oil work as poison antidote for adults?
No! Same applies to adult and children.
Awww thanks Doc GBEMI.i really appreciate al your teaching here.God bless
You are welcome. Keep reading and learning!
Good afternoon ma, my husband happened to bought malt yesterday, we took it just now but i noticed there was something solid in the can after finishing it, we opened the can and saw like a solid something inside, it’s like a spoilt malt that’s frozen already, i immediately went to the bathroom, forced myself to vomit, then took little palm oil, just little like a teaspoon, i wanted to take more when my husband told me to take enough water cuz we took it together but he only took water, hope we’re safe ma.
We can only hope as we are not sure what is in the malt. You should watch and if you noticed any symptoms then you should go to the hospital.