Israeli Child Hospitalized After Drinking Toxic Paint Thinner Mistaken for Water

In Ashdod this week, a six-and-a-half-year-old boy was hospitalized after accidentally drinking paint thinner stored in a water bottle by construction workers. The bottle had a pop-up cap that masked the chemical's strong odor, leading the child to believe it was water. Shortly after ingestion, the boy experienced severe throat burning, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.

His parents rushed him to the pediatric emergency room at Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital, where medical staff quickly assessed the severity. Specialists in pediatric gastroenterology and ENT collaborated on an immediate treatment plan. Dr. Eitan Damari, deputy head of the pediatric department, was among the treating physicians.

The boy was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit under the supervision of Dr. Noa Rosenfeld Yehoshua. She described the poisoning as particularly dangerous, potentially affecting vital systems such as respiratory, cardiac, and neurological functions. The unusual nature of the case stemmed from the chemical being stored in a drinking bottle with a sealed cap, preventing the usual warning smell.

Thanks to rapid diagnosis and multidisciplinary care, the child's condition improved significantly, and he is expected to be discharged soon. Dr. Hagar Gur-Superman, head of the pediatric emergency room, issued a stern warning to parents about the dangers of transferring hazardous substances into food or drink containers. She emphasized that such practices create deadly traps for children and urged all caregivers to keep dangerous materials in their original packaging, locked away and out of children's reach.

The boy's mother expressed her shock and urged others to avoid leaving hazardous substances in accessible containers, noting that although cleaning products were kept away from her children at home, the incident occurred due to the workers' bottle.