NHS worker who fed her two toddlers TURPENTINE hidden in juice to cure ‘parasites infecting their bodies' is investigated by police

  • The mother, who is not being named for legal reasons, is believed to work in healthcare and was formerly an employee of Hull Royal Infirmary
  • She was reported to police after posting in a private Facebook group 
  • She appeared to confess to giving her two children the dangerous substance 

An NHS worker is being investigated by police and social services over allegedly feeding her two toddlers turpentine to cure 'parasites' that she believes are infecting their bodies.

The mother, who is not being named for legal reasons, is believed to work in healthcare and was formerly an employee of Hull Royal Infirmary.

She was reported to police after posting in a private Facebook group appearing to confess to giving her two children aged under five the dangerous substance by 'tricking' them and disguising it in juice.

An NHS worker is being investigated by police and social services over allegedly feeding her two toddlers turpentine to cure 'parasites'

An NHS worker is being investigated by police and social services over allegedly feeding her two toddlers turpentine to cure 'parasites'

The mother, who is not being named for legal reasons, is believed to work in healthcare and was formerly an employee of Hull Royal Infirmary

The mother, who is not being named for legal reasons, is believed to work in healthcare and was formerly an employee of Hull Royal Infirmary

Turpentine is usually used as an industrial solvent or cleaning product, with side effects from ingestion including lung damage, renal failure, nerve damage, vomiting or even death.

The mother, who is from the Hull area, even appeared to write on social media that when she noticed changes in her toddlers' faeces after giving them the turpentine, she believed they were 'egg sacks' rather than just signs of a poorly tummy.

Campaigner for children's rights Emma Dalmayne claims that the use of turpentine administered to children for medicinal purposes is 'abuse and should be treated as nothing less than criminal'.

Humberside Police confirmed they had launched an inquiry into the 'concern for the safety of two children reportedly being given turpentine' - the investigation is ongoing but there are 'no immediate concerns' for their safety.

The unnamed mother wrote: 'Hi just want to share my success story. My family have battled parrisites[sic] and bacteria overgrowth for a long time although I hadn't realised what the problem was until recently [*].

'However after extensive research on this I discovered that you can give children turpentine but it is measured by drops against their weight.

Campaigner for children's rights Emma Dalmayne (pictured) claims that the use of turpentine administered to children for medicinal purposes is 'abuse and should be treated as nothing less than criminal'

Campaigner for children's rights Emma Dalmayne (pictured) claims that the use of turpentine administered to children for medicinal purposes is 'abuse and should be treated as nothing less than criminal'

'I tried it with 2 drops mixed with sugar and honey with a tiny bit of water to make a thick solution.

'Then I used the pipette that comes with children's medicine and gave them the solution. They looked at me like I had tricked them but they were fine.

'I gave them strong juice to wash it down then only half an hour later they had poo with lots of what looked like bb gun pellets! That's apparently egg sacks!'

After being visited by police, the mum returned to Facebook and appeared to defend her actions.

She wrote: 'Well I've just had a visit from the police about me giving turpentine to my kids as someone on here had reported me! Really can't believe it tbh!

'My kids are perfectly fine and I would never do anything that could potentially harm them. I spent a long time researching this before I even thought about giving it to them.

'I am extremely disappointed that someone felt they needed to get the police involved. I don't know how they can sleep at night!'

The admin of the secretive Facebook group where the mother's alleged posts appeared pinned a disclaimer to the top of the page to warn anyone using turpentine of the dangers - and even claimed one member had been taking to hospital.

The disclaimer reads: 'The goal of this group is to share our experiences with each other. 1. The safety of Turpentine is not up for debate unless you personally experienced negative side effects. 2. There are no doctors in the group. Info shared is anecdotal and the responsibility for your medical choices is yours alone.'

Children's welfare campaigner, Emma Dalmayne, 42, with her daughter Skylar, four

Children's welfare campaigner, Emma Dalmayne, 42, with her daughter Skylar, four

Below this, there is an add-on note from March 27, which states: 'Based on some negative experiences posted within, it's advised that you start slow and work up to one teaspoon. One member went to the ER by starting at the full dose.'

Other members of the group, which has 550 members, claim to have used turpentine as compresses for eye irritation, while another shows bowel lining in a flask as a result of an enema with the chemical.

Ms Dalmayne gained entry to the group by pretending to be hoping to administer turpentine to her own children.

She even claims he was given medical advice by the unnamed mother after getting in touch with her.

The 42-year-old said: 'The important thing to remember in this case is that the child has no additional needs.

'The parent was claiming to work for Hull Royal Infirmary and giving advice to other parents [through Facebook].

'The mother in this case was using turpentine on two very young children. She believes they have parasites but instead of seeking qualified medical advice from a doctor or paediatrician, she instead went on Facebook.

'It should be noted that turpentine ingestion is extremely dangerous. I do not advocate the use of anything that is not scientifically proven. If it's not regulated I don't approve of it.

'It's extremely easy to get advice on alternative treatments that are not proven [as medically safe].

Campaigner for children's rights Emma Dalmayne has spoken out against the use of turpentine

Campaigner for children's rights Emma Dalmayne has spoken out against the use of turpentine

'Charlatans pray on vulnerable people. Parents and carers believe them.

'They can seem credible and say that have qualifications - they put up websites that look genuine and trustworthy.

'I was given advice on the use of turpentine by this woman myself.'

Emma, from London, has campaigned for autism rights for more than four years and has previously spoken out on the use of bleach enemas on autistic children by their parents.

Two weeks ago, social services were forced to take safeguarding measures against one mother who had allegedly used bleach as a 'cure' for her son's severe autism.

As a result of her campaigning, Emma has faced a backlash from the followers of these groups and has even been threatened with violence.

Emma said: 'This morning I was told I'm crazy and should be in jail. I have been given rape threats and told I am refusing to heal my children [who both have autism].

'They have told me that I injured my children by vaccinating them.

'I campaign strongly against these snake oil salesman as I believe children, whether they are autistic or not, have a right to live without abuse. They have a right not to be experimented on.

'The government is at fault here. They bounce the responsibilities back and forth between MHRA and FSA.'

A spokesperson for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) said: 'We would not consider turpentine to be a medicine.

'Turpentine has no proven, or conceivable, health benefit. We would advise people not to buy or use turpentine for the treatment of medical conditions..'

A spokesperson for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said: 'In no form, either as essential oil or white spirit, should turpentine ever be administered to children of any age, orally or otherwise. If a child has ingested turpentine, medical advice should be sought immediately.'

A spokesperson from Hull Royal Infirmary confirmed the mother was a former employee but is no longer an employee of the trust.

DI Rich Osgerby of Humberside Police, the investigation force in this case, said: 'We opened an inquiry into the concern for the safety of two children reportedly being given turpentine.

'The case is still subject to an ongoing police and social services investigation, however, we are satisfied that there are no immediate concerns for the safety of the children, who are safe and well.'