Briana Robertson is speaking out to warn parents after her infant contracted salmonella from a pumpkin activity at daycare.
Robertson, a North Texas mother, said her daughter was just four months old when teachers at the child’s daycare organized a seasonal group activity. The teacher scooped out the insides of the pumpkin and had the pumpkin seeds and guts in a ziplock bag, and my daughter was only 4 months old, so there wasn’t much she could do other than touch the bag, Robertson said in her interview with the outlet.
Two days after that brief contact, the baby began showing severe symptoms. Her symptoms started at 6:45 that morning. By 12 that day, she was being admitted, Robertson said. And the fact that they didn’t really have answers at first was scary because you just see your four-month-old lying there, severely dehydrated, purple, and there’s nothing that anybody can do until they know how to treat her.
The child was vomiting, suffering severe diarrhea, and developed a high fever. She became dehydrated and unresponsive, Robertson recounted. After testing, doctors diagnosed the infant with salmonella, a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract, according to the Mayo Clinic. The bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through stool, and people usually contract it through contaminated food or water.
Because the baby was not yet eating solids, Robertson said her child’s doctor determined the pumpkin exposure at daycare was the likely source. I was shocked. Like, I was completely shocked, she said. I never would have thought that she could have gotten salmonella from a pumpkin.
Robertson noted that while fruits and vegetables can become contaminated in several ways, her doctor told her this particular scenario was highly unusual. They actually said that they’ve never had an infant or child come in with a severe case of salmonella due to pumpkins, she shared.
The incident occurred one year ago, but Robertson is now going public with her story as Halloween approaches again, hoping to prevent other families from experiencing similar ordeals. Salmonella itself is not rare, and a nationwide outbreak in May saw dozens fall ill across the country.
Robertson said she was advised on several preventive measures: washing the outside of pumpkins before cutting into them, washing hands before and after touching them, and sanitizing tools and surfaces that come into contact with them to minimize risk.