SA moms share tips to keep bath toys clean after toddler almost loses his vision

We’re sure you’ve seen it – that black stuff that sometimes comes out of your baby’s favourite rubber ducky and ends up swimming around them in the bath. As you probably know, it’s mould – which thrives in a warm, moist environment like the bathroom.

Squeaky bath toys often have small holes that make them fun for kids to squirt water but as every mom knows, this makes it almost impossible to get all of the water out. As a result, mould – and invisible bacteria – can build up, which can be harmful to your child.

ALSO SEE: 7 baby hygiene rules every mom should follow

In fact, one mom has recently gone out on a limb to warn parents to be vigilant after her toddler nearly lost his eyesight when he got infected by bacteria which had squirted out his bath toy into his eye.

The two-year-old toddler’s mom, Eden Strong, shared the unsettling details on social media, and it’s now gone viral with many sharing similar experiences.

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I learned a thing. And I’ve sat on it for a couple months because I wasn’t sure anyone would want to see this, but I’ve come to the conclusion that other people should know too. However, it’s unsettling so consider yourself warned. . I knew water could get trapped in tub toys, particularly the rubber ones designed to squirt water. I’ve seen pics of them filled with mold. So I squeezed them out after each bath, cleaned them regularly with bleach, and held them up to the light to look for mold. . But I didn’t know that because they never fully dry on the inside means that invisible bacteria still breeds. . “He squirted himself in the eye with a tub toy,” I was told when I noticed his eye was slightly red. I figured it was irritated from the water and didn’t think much of it. But that night after noticing his eye was still red, we took him to urgent care assuming he had pink eye. . The doctor agreed and he got his first dose of eye drops. Then, I decided to give him a booster dose in the middle of the night to assure he would be better by morning. . I wasn’t expecting to find him in his crib with an eye swollen to twice the size and redness spreading down his cheek. . Immediately we headed to the ER where a doctor prescribed oral antibiotics, which he took at 2:30am. . When he awoke at 6am, I screamed and immediately headed to the hospital. He had a raging fever and his eye was so swollen that the white part was bulging out from between his eyelids and his iris was obscured. . IV antibiotics were started immediately and because of the significant swelling, a CT scan was done to check his retina. . Severe cellulitis spread down his face and to both eyes. I was warned he may lose vision, but in the end, thank the Lord his eyes healed. . So tub toys? THROW THEM OUT. You cannot clean them. I don’t have moldy pictures to show you, because there was never any visible mold to see. You can’t see bacteria. You aren’t better than dirty tub toys. THROW THEM OUT. . #Warning #Recall #ToddlerSafety #Mom #Hospital #Recovery #Baby #Emergency #Sick #SaveALife #Blind #PraiseGod #Danger #Fighter #Cellulitis #Toddler #Toys #WishIKnew #Help #ChildrensHospital #Pediatrician #Opthamology

A post shared by Eden Strong (@edenstrong.no.shame) on Sep 23, 2020 at 12:51pm PDT

A lot of people have vowed to throw away their kids’ bath toys after reading the post but others have these tips to keep bath toys clean and safe:

Content editor and writer on Living & Loving, Sonya has over 25 years experience in the media industry. She edited Living & Loving magazine for six-and-a-half years and is the former editor of Longevity magazine. She’s won numerous media industry awards and is passionate about the health and wellbeing of moms and children.

Outside of work, she enjoys trying out recipes, reading crime mysteries and thrillers, practicing yoga, and exploring new destinations.

Learn more about Sonya Naudé.