A child has died following an outbreak of gastroenteritis in a childcare centre on Sydney’s lower north shore.
The cause of death is yet to be confirmed, but the child was one of several admitted to hospital with a suspected case of gastro this week, NSW Health has confirmed.
Six children, aged 11 months to four years, from Little Zak’s Academy in Artarmon became sick with the highly contagious rotavirus, with four being hospitalised. Two remain there, in a stable condition.
Reportedly, parents dropping off their children on Wednesday afternoon were unaware that a child had lost his life on Sunday.
“Tragically, another child who also attends the centre died in hospital on 23 October, but at this stage it appears unrelated to the gastroenteritis outbreak,” Dr Michael Staff, Director Northern Sydney Public Health Unit told 7 News.
A mother of another of the children who became ill, but was not hospitalised, told 9 News her son had been “very very sick for a few days.”
“He was off school for about five days while it was clearing up,” she said of his condition.
“Some kids were even hospitalised with it, it was really quite bad.”
Michael Staff, a spokesperson from Northern Sydney Public Health, described the ordeal as a “very complicated situation” to 9 News, adding: “the symptoms [of this outbreak] weren’t typical.”
Health officials are working with specialist pediatricians to better understand what caused the child’s death. In a statement released late on Wednesday, they say initial tests point to another cause.
Health authorities are reportedly satisfied the centre followed proper procedure.
Top Comments
I feel so sorry for the family and my condolences to the parents, heartbreaking to hear this news.
But I feel like NSW Health is not doing enough in connection with Childcare centres in keeping viruses away.
It's like the Childcare centres have become a main breeding ground jumping from one person to the other , so while one gets better and stays home, another person that is healthy will get sick including Childcare teachers. ( like a merry go round )
I've seen at Westmead Children's Hospital , children from Childcare centres come in with seizures and limp from the normal virus that they catch from Childcare centres, leaving Drs puzzled. The poor parents are distraught seeing their kids become so ill.
I had my children in Childcare last year, and they were back to back sick and then when I got sick from looking after them, I pulled them out of Childcare.
It was more work for me keeping them at home, as I don't have any support, but at last they were not sick.
It was like a miracle, I didnt need to buy Panadol or Antibiotics or Hydralyte , I saved money on Childcare fees,I saved money on not buying anymore medicines and the best bit was we are all healthy.
This year the children have hardly had the flu and any virus thanks to keeping them at home.
I want to go back to work ( so I can financially save) but for now I have prioritised that my children's health comes first and if that means my life is basic (cause I can't afford wants, so be it).
The first year of daycare was tough with illness - I felt like it was a revolving door of sick kids - but the second year they barely got a sniffle as they had built up immunity.
This is a tragic story. But I have to say it's also scaremongering to present it this way (would have expected more from Mamamia). Every story leads like this one about a child dying after a gastro outbreak. But read the stories and you find out the death is likely due to other causes.