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Mum warns parents over hygiene of shopping trolleys after her 10-month-old son contracted a salmonella infection and meningitis.

Vivienne Wardrop, 35, went shopping on September 13 with her baby boy, putting him in a trolley with no second thought.

Almost 24 hours later, her son, Logan, started getting severe diarrhoea, vomiting and was running a high temperature.

‘On Wednesday morning I got him out of bed and he had really bad diarrhoea. It had gone through his clothes and bedding,’ Ms Wardrop told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I gave him a bottle and he vomited it back up and this kept happening throughout the day.’

Ms Wardrop took her baby boy to the doctor who told her it was just a virus.

But by early Thursday morning, Logan was so dehydrated she had to take him to Gold Coast University Hospital.

His heart rate was up around 200 and 220 beats per minute – with a normal heart rate being around 80 – 140.

‘[The medical staff] were really good with him and started doing tests, ultrasounds, nasal swabs and urine testing – if it existed he had it,’ Ms Wardrop said.

Doctors diagnosed him with adenovirus, rotavirus, salmonella and meningitis.

Logan, who was born 11 weeks premature, spent 10 days in hospital and eight of those days were spent in the intensive care unit.

‘We were scared we were going to lose. It didn’t seem like [the doctors] were able to get him under control because they didn’t know what was wrong with him,’ Ms Wardrop told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I’d never seen a child this sick, I have five children. He lost 10 per cent of body weight in three days – 800 grams – and went to being bloated because the water wouldn’t go into the cells – it was terrifying.

‘Even talking about it now makes me want to cry.

‘They said it was very unusual to be hit with all those viruses in one go.

‘The poor thing ended up with 10 heel prick tests and bruises on his arms from tests.

‘He was quite lerthargic and his eyes were rolling in the back of his head and he was moaning.’

Ms Wardrop said she had whittled it down to the shopping trolley because Logan had not eaten any normal food other than his formula that week and only had water leading up to his illnesses.

‘We spoke [with doctors] about who had been around, if they had been sick, where we had been, what he had eaten. We hadn’t been out of in the house in a week,’ the mother said.

Ms Wardrop said she did not blame the supermarket for her son’s illness but wanted to raise awareness about the hygiene of trolleys.

‘Us as parents need to think about it a lot more,’ she said.

The mother-of-five felt so passionate about the issue that she posted a warning on Facebook to other parents.

‘Just wanted to warn parents against using baby seats in trolley without wiping down or using a blanket,’ Ms Wardrop wrote on Sunday.

‘Didn’t even think about it just popped [Logan] in and did a quick shop. I hadn’t been anywhere with him in a week so doctors advised only place he could of gotten it.

‘He ended up catching adenovirus, rotavirus, salmonella poisoning and got meningitis because of the strain on his body.

‘Ended up with a central line as his veins were collapsing due to severe dehydration.

‘He was in hospital for a total of 10 days and will still take another week or 2 to fully recover.

‘So please be careful I never thought something like this could happen.’

We wish little Logan a speedy recovery.

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  • Poor Logan. He fast sweetheart.
    It is a perfect reminder about trolleys
    I remember my daughter being in one and she ended up with has Nd foot as normal mouth al

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  • This is certainly frightening. Wishing the family well.

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  • The poor little mite. I hope he makes a speedy recovery. A lot of our supermarkets provide disinfectant wipes so you can wipe down your trolley if you wish. I used to think it was just if they were sticky but now I can see it is a great precautionary idea. Get well soon Logan

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  • Sounds like this baby had a weak immune system, germs are everywhere we cannot wipe down everything a baby touches, but keeping their hands and mouths away as much as possible from handles of things helps.

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  • Terrifying thing to go through. Hope he makes a speedy and full recovery.

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  • I hope he makes a full and fast recovery big hugs to you and your family xx

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  • Read your story about your baby all I can say is sorry

    sam1949@rogers.com

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  • Awww, this is terrible. I hope he recovers soon. I’ve noticed now you can buy inserts for trolleys to sit your kids in. We’ve given them as gifts to a couple of new Mums. Our Coles had also installed a stand with wipes for trolleys but I’ve noticed it’s since been removed. Not a bad idea though, when you think it through.

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  • This happens. Just go on a cruise ship and watch how many naughty people don’t sanitize their hands before entering and leaving the dining room.

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  • In the US I noticed that all the stores have wipes available so you can wipe the shopping trolleys down. I always felt it was a good idea to buy one of the padded fabric trolley inserts so that everything is covered and your child does not actually touch the trolley at all.

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  • Wishing Logan a speedy recovery. Shopping trolleys and supermarkets are notorious for picking up things other than your groceries at times. Always carry wipes with you and clean down the surfaces of the trolley and seat as I have seen children sucking on the handles of trolleys and you don’t know whose hands have been on that trolley and where they have been or what they have touched. It’s good to take measures to protect your children and always take one of their blankets with you to seat them on. I personally would do that and would always wash the blanket after shopping so that it is fresh and clean. Being in a supermarket or anywhere in a public arena takes you and your family out of your own environment and surfaces are touched by many different people daily. We touch these surfaces and then by touching our faces or mouths can help the spread of germs which can cause viruses and other sicknesses quite easily. It pays to be sensible and precautious.

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  • That’s frightening. I’m lucky my older kids didn’t get sick from trolleys. They liked to knaw on the handlebar and the lock that hung from it…

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  • I pray he get well soon

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  • so sad to hear and i hope he recovers fast and has no further health issues.

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  • I shop at both Coles and Woolworths but I always use a Woolies trolley..why beacause they are newer but most important because Woolies supply hand anti bac wipes next to the trolley’s …I also have a sml container in my handbag which I refill regularly with Woolies wipes because on some visits the container at the entrance to the store is empty. I also carry hand sanitiser in my hand bag as well.

    All my love and healing thoughts are sent to this family.

    Reply

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