Mum's Horror After Baby Nearly Dies From Drinking Bath Water

A mum has urged parents to take extra care when bathing their babies after her daughter nearly died from swallowing bath water.

A US mum has shared her horror after her baby almost died from water intoxication Yahoo7 reports. Katie Gorter says her daughter Elly, eleven months, swallowed a small amount of water while in the bath and began to have a severe and life-threatening reaction to ingesting the fluid.

A Terrifying Ordeal

Katie says Elly had never swallowed water while in the bath before and didn’t think it was anything to worry about until her little girl began struggling to breathe.

The young mum says she knew that it was unsafe to give her baby anything more than a few sips of water, but never imagined the amount she had consumed in the bath could lead to water intoxication. She is now urging parents to be aware of the potential dangers.

“I just want to make a Public Service Announcement,” she wrote on Facebook. “Water intoxication is very real and can happen so easily. Please offer babies 6-12 months no more than 60ml of water in a 24 hour period.”

Safe And Sound

While Katie confirmed that Elly’s condition had improved significantly since her hospitalisation on July 9, and she was fortunate to have no water enter her lungs, the mum admits she will never forget the experience.

Sharing a picture from the hospital where her daughter is recovering, Katie reiterated the need for parents to take her warning seriously. “Just because your baby is close to a year old doesn’t mean they can have more than the recommended amount of water,” she said. “My daughter is a year old in three weeks and here we are.”

What a terrifying consequence for something that can happen so easily to even the most vigilant of parents. We’re just glad to hear that Elly is on her way to a full recovery.

Have you experienced an unexpected health emergency with your child? Share your story in the comments.

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28 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 11 May 2023
    12:05 pm
I am thinking that bubs consumed more water then she thought as this is quite a rare thing to happen to a baby. But the truth is that everyone needs ot be aware not to overdo water intake. People think the more water the better but the truth is too much water can kill you.

- - ella12 said
  - 29 Jul 2019
    2:53 pm
Oh dear that is very scary.

- - mom101628 said
  - 21 Jul 2019
    11:02 pm
Have never heard of this before – my babies had much more than 60ml of water before they were 12 months old on regular occasions – especially on hot dry and windy days here in Oz. They never had water intoxication and I’ve never heard of this before.

- - Blossom said
  - 18 Jul 2019
    10:02 pm
I wonder what was in the bath water when the baby drank water she had been given. Whether the baby could have inhaled chemicals from soap or bubbles in the water at the same time.

- - skbou said
  - 18 Jul 2019
    9:07 pm
I didn’t even know there was a recommended minimum. While in hospital I struggled to get bub to bring up his wind and he seemed to be in a bit of distress about it so the nurse on duty his second night in gave him water….in a bottle. I don’t recall how much but it certainly would have been more than 60mL. We were in for a week due to my complications and this water bottle was a nightly occurrence. It was recommended that I continue this if he kept having trouble but was never given any warnings.

- - tessie said
  - 17 Jul 2019
    12:56 pm
This would have been such a terrifying time for Mum. I’m just glad that Elly is going to be okay. I would never have thought this would be a problem so it just shows, you’re never to old to learn things.
- mom486197 replied
  
  31 Aug 2024 , 6:55 pm
  I am with you, such a scary thing to experience. So glad she is ok, that is the main thing.
- - rovermum said
  - 17 Jul 2019
    9:19 am
I imagine this would have been frightening. Not something I have heard of before but clearly worth sharing.

- - AmbieBambi said
  - 16 Jul 2019
    12:51 pm
Oh goodness, very scary and will remember this. Wouldn’t of thought this would hurt

- - sars_angelchik said
  - 16 Jul 2019
    11:09 am
Wow my kids often would do things like that – they may have been older but I still wouldn’t have thought it was life threatening!

- - MisChip said
  - 15 Jul 2019
    10:48 pm
That is so bizarre! Poor child!

- - musicmum said
  - 15 Jul 2019
    10:41 pm
Also I wonder was there something in the water like toxic bubble bath or soap?

- - musicmum said
  - 15 Jul 2019
    10:33 pm
How on earth can you not see it happening, what kind of bathing are you doing when a baby swallows so much water!

- - mom152736 said
  - 15 Jul 2019
    8:57 am
Thanks for sharing. It’s imp to be aware.

- - mom265671 said
  - 14 Jul 2019
    11:30 pm
Glad she’s ok

- - mom90758 said
  - 14 Jul 2019
    11:43 am
Very good on her for sharing her experience and concern.

- - DaffyD said
  - 14 Jul 2019
    9:21 am
wow you wouldn’t think anything of it, great story to remember. Glad her little one was ok

- - Ellen said
  - 14 Jul 2019
    5:00 am
What a scary experience. vI wouldn’t have thought either this could be so dangerous.

- - rachelvk said
  - 13 Jul 2019
    10:54 pm
So terrifying; glad the outcome wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

- - serotonin said
  - 13 Jul 2019
    9:50 pm
Wow that’s terrifying! I wonder how she drank the water though, surely her head wasn’t in the water.

- - MrsA said
  - 13 Jul 2019
    9:14 pm
My kids drank more than 60ml of water a day. I didn’t realise the recommended amount was so low. I have always allowed them to have access to a water bottle.