Content warning: This article contains descriptions of an injury sustained by a child, which may be distressing to some readers. Discretion is advised.

Parents and grandparents all know the joy that a simple toy can bring to a child or grandchild's life. Seeing their eyes light up with excitement and curiosity is a wonderful sight.

However, an incident involving a popular Kmart toy is a stark reminder that not all toys are as harmless as they seem.

Caitlin Elizabeth's two-year-old son was playing with his brother's Spiral Motion Bubbler ($4) toy when the toy broke after being thrown to the ground.

‘The liquid inside went everywhere, including on his foot,’ Elizabeth said.

‘It had a weird smell to it, but I just cleaned it up, and then he went for his nap.’

Elizabeth shared her and her son’s ordeal after a $4 Kmart toy broke. Credit: Caitlin Elizabeth / Kmart

However, upon waking, her son complained of pain in his foot, which had become red, inflamed, and swollen.

Initially, Elizabeth took her son to urgent care, where they were prescribed antibiotics and sent home.

But the situation quickly escalated when, after another nap, the boy's foot showed worsening blisters and redness.

It was then that the possibility of a chemical burn was considered, prompting an immediate trip to the hospital.

‘My partner had said maybe it’s a chemical burn from whatever was inside the Kmart toy, so we decided to take him straight to the hospital, where we waited for a while,’ she said.

After an agonising 11-hour wait in the emergency department, the medical staff concluded that the young boy had indeed suffered chemical burns.

‘They dressed his foot to help the burn heal, which was to stay on for seven days without getting wet,’ Elizabeth shared.

The aftermath of this ordeal was not only a physical injury to a young child but also a mother's plea to other parents to be vigilant.

Elizabeth's subsequent post on social media, complete with distressing images of her son's injured foot, served as a warning to all: 'Be safe, everyone!'

The community's response was one of shock and concern, with many urging Elizabeth to report the incident further and calls for a recall of the toy, which, despite being recommended for children over the age of three, was not safe.

‘I hope they recall it,’ one said.

‘The poor baby that looks super painful,’ a second added.

Kmart's response to the incident was prompt, with the toy being removed from their website. A spokesperson for the retailer stated that Kmart 'takes the quality and safety of all products very seriously' and that they are investigating the matter.

‘While this product complies with all required standards, we investigate any safety or quality issues that are raised with us,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We encourage any customer who experiences an issue with a product to get in touch with our customer service team to ensure that it can be investigated properly.’

Key Takeaways

• A Sydney mother's young son sustained chemical burns from a broken Kmart toy, resulting in an 11-hour hospital stay.
• The boy was injured by a spiral motion bubbler toy that spilled its contents upon being thrown.
• The mother took to social media to share images of her son's red and blistered foot and to caution others.
• Kmart has removed the toy from their website and is investigating the matter, reminding customers to report any issues with their products.

Have you or someone you know ever experienced a similar situation? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.

 

[Craftylady]

I think the more distressing thing here is the amount of time the hospital took to see a small child with suspected chemical burns, 11 hours is a totally disgusting time to wait. I hope he makes a full recovery .

 

[SandyM]

There are many things that should be kept out of reach of a two year old! He could have injured himself by throwing a knife on the floor and stabbing himself in the foot! Parents need to watch their children and be responsible for what they are playing with. Yes, the chemicals in this toy are an accident waiting to happen, but children of all ages need to be supervised by parents or caregivers. He could have got it in his eyes!

 

[PepeLePew]

Why was the child allowed to throw the toy on the floor in the first place? Obviously this toy was not meant to be played with by a 2yr old as the package states very clearly that it is for 3+yrs, so the mother only has herself to blame for what happened and should stop whinging about her inability to parent her child properly.

 

[Miss Chris]

Why was the child allowed to throw the toy on the floor in the first place? Obviously this toy was not meant to be played with by a 2yr old as the package states very clearly that it is for 3+yrs, so the mother only has herself to blame for what happened and should stop whinging about her inability to parent her child properly.

That’s an extremely harsh observation…..Would it be any different if the child had been 3, 4, 5 years old….

 

[per]

Why did the child have to wait so long to have his injury addressed. Our health services need serious attention as this is absolutely unacceptable for a child with serious injury to wait so long for medical treatment

 

[PepeLePew]

That’s an extremely harsh observation…..Would it be any different if the child had been 3, 4, 5 years old….

No don't think it is. There is a reason toys have ages one them and if parents abided by this then these kind of accidents wouldn't happen and they wouldn't have to take to social media to whinge and get sympathy for their own stupid mistakes.

 

[Miss Chris]

No don't think it is. There is a reason toys have ages one them and if parents abided by this then these kind of accidents wouldn't happen and they wouldn't have to take to social media to whinge and get sympathy for their own stupid mistakes.

Of course I understand that toys be age appropriate…….My point though was that a toy, any toy, this toy, could easily be broken by any age child or adult for that matter, because accidents happen and the contents of the toy in question could splash on anyone, of any age, but the outcome would be exactly the same ….. fact that the liquid had such an effect is what’s important here….

 

[Ebby]

Why was the child allowed to throw the toy on the floor in the first place? Obviously this toy was not meant to be played with by a 2yr old as the package states very clearly that it is for 3+yrs, so the mother only has herself to blame for what happened and should stop whinging about her inability to parent her child properly.

What a horrible thing to say ! l'm sure the poor mother would have been as distressed as the child and no-one knows who bought the toy.Children throw things,thats what they do.How many children did you have?

 

[Gsr]

I agree the mother should not have allowed the two year old to play with the toy. A two year old child should also have been taught not to throw things, this could have ended up much worse. Too many parents just let their kids do whatever they want and don’t discipline them at all. I have one granddaughter who had half her front tooth broken off, and another granddaughter who required stitches to a head wound, both the result of a half brother who should have been taught better, throwing toys at them. He also threw a toy and broke the parents new big screen TV when he was about two. Other incidents happened after this, the tooth one when he was four, plenty old enough to have been taught better. this toy should have been tested better for safety before being sold, and the child should have been treated sooner at the hospital, but it all could have been prevented with some discipline and supervision from the mother.

 

[Ebby]

I agree the mother should not have allowed the two year old to play with the toy. A two year old child should also have been taught not to throw things, this could have ended up much worse. Too many parents just let their kids do whatever they want and don’t discipline them at all. I have one granddaughter who had half her front tooth broken off, and another granddaughter who required stitches to a head wound, both the result of a half brother who should have been taught better, throwing toys at them. He also threw a toy and broke the parents new big screen TV when he was about two. Other incidents happened after this, the tooth one when he was four, plenty old enough to have been taught better. this toy should have been tested better for safety before being sold, and the child should have been treated sooner at the hospital, but it all could have been prevented with some discipline and supervision from the mother.

l had my children in a play-pen when they were very young for their own safety and they only had soft toys but we were out on the moors mostly. Anybody that gives a young child heavy toys is asking for trouble.

 

[Sabine Anna]

I agree the mother should not have allowed the two year old to play with the toy. A two year old child should also have been taught not to throw things, this could have ended up much worse. Too many parents just let their kids do whatever they want and don’t discipline them at all. I have one granddaughter who had half her front tooth broken off, and another granddaughter who required stitches to a head wound, both the result of a half brother who should have been taught better, throwing toys at them. He also threw a toy and broke the parents new big screen TV when he was about two. Other incidents happened after this, the tooth one when he was four, plenty old enough to have been taught better. this toy should have been tested better for safety before being sold, and the child should have been treated sooner at the hospital, but it all could have been prevented with some discipline and supervision from the mother.

What’s this about a half brother you are a terrible person so hateful

 

[Craftylady]

That’s an extremely harsh observation…..Would it be any different if the child had been 3, 4, 5 years old….

I agree, it isn’t about the age of the age of the child or the parent not realising it was for a 3+ age group, of course we all have to be responsible and watch our kids but these things happen, that’s why they’re called accidents , making the mother feel worse won’t help . Be kind people

 

[Ebby]

What’s this about a half brother you are a terrible person so hatefuYes it does look like you are blaming the half brother l j

What’s this about a half brother you are a terrible person so hateful

Perhaps some of the trouble with the half brother is not feeling loved

 

[freedy50]

What’s this about a half brother you are a terrible person so hateful

So you only join yesterday and the first thing you do is be rude to someone?

For your information....
A half brother is a brother who is related to his sibling(s) through only one parent

Why is that a problem?

 

[Zoeshipscat]

Why was the child allowed to throw the toy on the floor in the first place? Obviously this toy was not meant to be played with by a 2yr old as the package states very clearly that it is for 3+yrs, so the mother only has herself to blame for what happened and should stop whinging about her inability to parent her child properly.

Ouch!