Further to the news stories on the inquest into the death of five-month-old Thomas Egan as the result of an allergic reaction at a Jigsaw day nursery (News, 30 January and 6 February), it is not good enough that a comment by the mother was misinterpreted by nursery staff. They should have checked exactly what sort of reaction the baby had to cow's milk and recorded it properly. If the infant did not routinely have breakfast at the setting, I fail to see what comment the mother could have made that would have led them to believe this should have changed on the day in question. The fact that the baby should not have had this reaction to the cereal is irrelevant; it could have happened and tragically it did.
Further to the news stories on the inquest into the death of five-month-old Thomas Egan as the result of an allergic reaction at a Jigsaw day nursery (News, 30 January and 6 February), it is not good enough that a comment by the mother was misinterpreted by nursery staff. They should have checked exactly what sort of reaction the baby had to cow's milk and recorded it properly.
If the infant did not routinely have breakfast at the setting, I fail to see what comment the mother could have made that would have led them to believe this should have changed on the day in question. The fact that the baby should not have had this reaction to the cereal is irrelevant; it could have happened and tragically it did.
As an early years teacher who is five months pregnant and currently looking for a nursery place for when I return to work in January 2004, I would certainly think twice before sending my child to a Jigsaw nursery. I have been an early years practitioner in a school for three years and I could never live with myself if I made that sort of mistake.
I am thinking about opening my own nursery and if so, pro-cedures for documenting children's allergies and daily routines would be a huge priority.
Stacey Hegarty. Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
