Farming-Related Caustic Ingestion by a 2-Year-Old: Innocent Play with Costly Results

ABSTRACT

Young children continue to ingest caustic materials while playing in farm work areas. However, recent agricultural safety and health literature scarcely mentions caustic ingestion, and national incidence data specific to childhood caustic ingestion occurring on farms were not found. We present a case report of a 2-year-old child who, while playing with her brother, ingested dairy pipeline cleaner (an alkali). This case, although not unique, raises concerns about current prevention efforts related to the use and storage of chemicals on farms, long-term medical problems and associated costs, and the level of tolerance regarding the intermingling of innocent child play with adult work.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture
• caustic ingestion
• children
• farming

The authors thank the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation for its support through the assistance of Alice Stargardt in the preparation of the manuscript. The authors also acknowledge the contributions of Lorelle Benetti, Epidemiologic Programmer/Analyst, and Deanna Cole, Research Coordinator, both from the Marshfield Epidemiologic Research Center.