A mother in Auckland, New Zealand, has issued a warning to parents after her daughter nearly died after she gave her too much Bonjela Gel.
According to reports in New Zealand, the distraught mother Jessica Vermunt, decided to issue a public warning after her seven-month-old daughter Athena Vermunt Sergent, became ACICIC after being given too much of the mouth gel.
It is believed that Ms Vermunt gave her daughter the gel as she was teething, however after prolonged use her little girl had become seriously ill and had to be rushed to Auckland’s Starship Hospital.
In a detailed Facebook post to warn other parents about using the gel on children, Ms Vermunt said: “I am currently in starship hospital with my 7 month old baby who was literally minutes from dying after having too much Bonjela.”
“The active ingredient in Bonjela will turn your baby’s blood acidic and cause complete renal failure.”
Ms Vermunt went onto say: “A warning went out in 2009 that no one under the age of 16 should have this and the UK have banned it from their shelves until theY removed the ingredient.”
“I’m aware that she had more than normal but the point remains that this has the potential to kill your child and there is no real information or warnings about the severity of it.
“I’m begging you, if you do use Bonjela for your baby, please please please use the smallest amount as little as possible.”
Although Ms Vermunt admitted that she had been using more of the gel than she should have, she told reporters in New Zealand that her GP wasn’t concerned about the use of the gel on her daughter when she became ill.
She added that she believes that her GP wasn’t even aware of the dangers the gel can cause in infants and children.
Ms Vermunt told reporters that she felt that she had to go public with her story in order to inform other parents what could happen if they use the gel regularly on their children.