The parents of a Gold Coast toddler placed in a week-long induced coma after accidentally inhaling a toxic cake decorating product say their son might have lifelong health issues and long-term lung damage, despite his condition improving.
Fourteen-month-old Dustin Wildman was in the studio with his mum, baker Katie Robinson, when he discovered a canister of metallic rose gold lustre dust. Similar products are used to add a shimmering finish to baked goods, but the particular brand was meant for “removable parts”, not consumption.
Within seconds, the curious toddler had “bitten the top off [the canister]” and ingested some of the powder, causing him to start coughing and become immediately distressed.
“[He] became a bit more unresponsive and his eyes were rolling in his head … he couldn’t breathe properly,” Robinson said.
Paramedics rushed Dustin to Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, where doctors performed emergency surgery to clear the copper – which had coated his airways and lungs – before placing him in an induced coma.
Robinson said her son “is doing better” a week on from the incident and is being weaned off breathing support and medications.
“He has had his breathing tube removed and has high flow oxygen through nasal prongs,” she said.
“He’s had withdrawals overnight from decreasing the meds, but [is] doing better this [Friday] morning … [and] is coming out of the coma slowly.”
Despite making progress, the young family have been warned of possible “lifelong issues” from exposure to the powder, which was not meant for consumption.
“The doctors are unsure how his lungs will be long term – there will most likely be lifelong effects unfortunately,” Robinson said.
“They have said he will most likely need some asthma type therapy after, but he may have lifelong issues with his lungs like colds and flus will affect him worse than other children and [he] will need an inhaler.”
Robinson said when the family first presented to hospital, they offered the gold dust container to doctors, who were unable to find information on the product’s contents based on the label or an online search.
It was only after the product was sent for further testing that they discovered it contained copper and zinc.
“I just can’t believe that these products are being sold alongside similar products that are edible,” Robinson told Today on Thursday.
“It’s just something that shouldn’t be happening. People would assume these products are edible.
“It was a very rare situation and they [the hospital] are just as concerned about the fact these products are being marketed in this way.”
Kidsafe Queensland chief executive Susan Teerds said families and carers should regularly audit their household environment and take note of anything within reach of young children.
“You can’t assume that because it’s on the shelf in your supermarket or at your local cheap shop … that the products have passed any sort of Australian standard, or that they’re safe and correctly labelled,” Teerds said.
“It’s buyer beware. And as a parent, a grandparent or a carer, that means you’ve really got to be thinking outside the box.
“You’ve got to be thinking, what’s in reach? What’s labelled, and what do I know about this product? Is it poisonous?”
Teerds said parents can search recalled items on the ACCC Product Safety website, as well as report unsafe products and subscribe to product alerts.
She said the Queensland Poisons Information Centre – a 24/7 service contactable on 13 11 26 – is the first point of call in the case of a suspected poisoning event.
“They will provide immediate expert advice … and will tell you there and then what you need to do.”
According to the most recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, there were more than 10,000 hospitalisations due to accidental poisoning in 2023–24, the highest in children aged 0–4.
A GoFundMe set up by Robinson’s friend Rochelle Evrard to support the family has raised over $50,000 since it was launched a week ago.
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