By Mike Grimala
masslive.com
WELLESLEY, Mass. — More than 10 toddlers were hospitalized Friday after their skin became irritated due to a soap mix-up at a Wellesley daycare center.
Police and fire crews arrived at Bright Horizons in Wellesley around 11 a.m. after it was reported a child came down with a rash. While that child was being evaluated, nearly a dozen more broke out in similar rashes, Wellesley Fire Chief Steve Mortarelli told assembled reporters.
Investigators found the kids’ skin became irritated after they washed their hands with commercial-grade dishwashing soap, which had mistakenly been substituted in place of regular hand soap, according to Wellesley police.
Multiple ambulances responded to the scene, as well as a hazmat crew. Twelve of the 40 kids at the daycare center presented with rash-like symptoms, and 11 were hospitalized, according to Boston 25 News. All were between 1 to 5 years old.
Mortarelli said the injuries were ultimately minor and that the emergency response was conducted out of caution, according to WCVB.
“All minor superficial rashes, essentially something like a bad sunburn,” Mortarelli said. “After we were evaluating one, several others came up. We wanted to rule out that something wasn’t in the air or anything like that.”
Unaffected children were picked up by their parents.
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