A new study has shown that despite strong warnings about the dangers of laundry detergent pods to young children, cases of poisonings are on the rise.
There has been an increase of nearly 20 per cent of children putting the bright-coloured packets in their mouths, which has caused serious illnesses and sometimes even death, according to a study published in Pediatrics Monday.
Study coauthor Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital told USA Today: “During the two years of this study we saw an increase in the number of exposures due to detergent, but especially among exposures to laundry detergent packets. In fact, a child is reported to a poison control center about every 45 minutes in this country.”
Of 62,254 calls made between 2013 and 2014 to US poison control centers reporting unintentional exposures to laundry or dishwasher detergent among children younger than 6, laundry detergent pods proved to be the most hazardous.
This is particularly true with packets containing liquid detergent, rather than granules.
“I’ve seen children in emergency departments for decades that have been exposed to laundry detergents,” Smith said.
“But we have never seen anything like this. These children have come in in a coma, they’ve stopped breathing. We’ve even had two deaths in the last two years due to exposure to laundry detergent packets.”
Attempts have been made to put safety standards for the products, plus adding a bitter tasting packet coating and make the containers harder to open.
“Anyone with common sense can see how dangerous it is to have liquid detergent in colorful, bite-sized packets that children will inevitably swallow,” said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) in a statement.
It is recommended that parents not use laundry detergent packets if there are young children at home, and instead use traditional laundry detergent.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers says symptoms of ingesting a pod includes excessive vomiting, breathing problems, wheezing or sleepiness.
• Always keep detergent containers closed, completely sealed and out of reach of children.
• Call the Poisons Information Australia Centre on 13 11 26 immediately if your child has come into contact with a detergent or laundry pod.
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