What to do When Your Child Eats a Wild Mushroom

We were outside raking and suddenly my daughter picked a mushroom from the ground and popped it into her mouth before we could say ‘NO!’. Sometimes being within arms reach just isn’t enough – those little people are fast!

Don’t panic. In our case we were raking around a pine tree and the mushrooms we have a probably not poisonous. But it’s impossible to tell unless you’re a mycologist, and even then it is common for poisonous and non-poisonous species to grow in the same area. The toxic spores can get metabolized inside a child’s body rapidly, and some fungi are capable of killing within hours.

Here’s what to do when your child has eaten an unknown mushroom:

1. Don’t panic. Rushing and getting upset will not help the situation, could scare your child, and could lead to hazardous mistakes. Even the most deadly mushrooms take time to do their work, and hallucinogenic spores will make your child loopy but you will reach the hospital in time to prevent serious complications. Don’t panic.
2. Only if your child is in distress – call 911. If your child is having trouble breathing, their pulse is weak or jumpy, or they are suddenly lethargic, this is a medical emergency and you are right to call the paramedics. If your child is business-as-usual so far, you can prepare to bring them to the hospital yourself.
3. Call poison control (not 911). Notify poison control that your child has swallowed a potentially harmful fungus and that you are proceeding to the nearest hospital. They will assess the situation and will call the hospital on your behalf to announce your arrival. If you are in Canada, the provincial poison control phone numbers can be found here.
4. Load your child into the car and drive to the nearest hospital. Monitor your child’s condition and if a medical emergency develops pull over and call 911 for help.
5. Do not present any food or water to the child until the doctor gives the green light.

Everything worked out well with my daughter. Since we live in the country it took a good 45 minutes to drive to the hospital where they were waiting to rush us through triage and straight to see the doctor. I had to hold her down while they administered charcoal, which binds to any toxins that might have been ingested with the mushrooms so they get passed rather than absorbed into her body. It was horrible, thick, messy stuff – but despite gagging and struggling she didn’t have any trouble keeping it down. Afterward we stayed for a few hours for observation and were released with no further problems.