Ms Dodd said she did not want other parents or caregivers to go through the agony of watching a child dying. "I'm scared if I don't say something others will go through the same as me. I want people to know just how dangerous these medicines can be ... people just don't realise."
Chryzlah, the youngest of her four children, had been teething with her last eye tooth coming through. Ms Dodd had gone to a chemist, bought Pamol and said she gave Chryzlah the correct dose. Her daughter's health had briefly improved before dramatically worsening.
Chryzlah was taken to a medical centre, Whangarei Hospital and transferred by rescue helicopter to Starship in Auckland.
Doctors said Chryzlah's liver was failing and she needed a transplant. She was operated on but complications meant two more rounds of surgery. Chryzlah's little body was unable to handle the physical trauma and began shutting down.
"My baby fought and fought, and so did we. It got to the point when the doctors told us they were maxed out on everything they could do for her and we had to watch her slowly go downhill," Ms Dodd said. "I didn't want to see my baby suffer. They gave her more morphine. I held her in my arms and she died peacefully at 6.11pm on July 26."
Now she wants to make people aware of the potential dangers and has set up a Facebook page called No More Babies Suffering.
A spokesman for Johnson and Johnson, which makes Pamol, said the company did not have the facts in this incident and would not comment on the possible involvement of medicine. However, the spokesman said, as with all medicines information on the labels should be followed.
Children's Emergency Department specialist doctor Mike Shepherd said fatalities from paracetamol were very rare.
However, he said cases of unintentional paracetamol poisoning - where children found a bottle and drank it - was a weekly occurrence at Starship's emergency department. About two children a year were admitted after overdosing. Studies had showed there were no long-term liver injuries.
He was not aware of Chryzlah's case but said dosages had to be correct otherwise the cumulative effect could affect children quickly. Too much over a 36-hour period could mean an urgent trip to the doctor.
"If you get the dose right, it's safe. If you are not sure of the dose, it's critical to get it right and get some advice," Dr Shepherd said. He said there were two strengths of Pamol and, while there were instructions for various ages, it was also important to take into consideration a child's weight. Some children were also more susceptible to the effects of paracetamol than others.
That advice was echoed by the New Zealand Self Medication Industry, the body representing non-prescription products. Executive director Tim Roper said paracetamol products had been available in New Zealand for more than 50 years and most children using them as directed experienced no undesirable effects. "It's absolutely important the dosages on the packet are followed religiously. We are talking about medicines that have the potential to be dangerous if used inappropriately."
