A Florida infant died after ingesting a laundry detergent pod.

A Florida infant dies after ingesting a laundry detergent pod. The mother who was staying at a battered women’s shelter “ put them in the laundry basket, on the bed where the child was sleeping.”  She stepped away for a brief moment  to talk to a staff member, and when she came back, the child was eating the laundry detergent packet. 911 was called and the child was rushed to the hospital where he died. The medical examiner said the toxicology report could take up to 12 weeks. It was reported that Florida loses 20 children each year to accidental poisoning.

Detergent pod

Dr. Cynthia Lewis-Younger, medical director of the Florida Poison Information Center of Tampa, said the pods became available in the US last year, and within weeks and months of them becoming available we began to get reports through the poison centers of children ending up in the hospital following exposure to the pods. From January 1- July 31 of this year there have been 5,732 exposures reported. Dy. Young reports that “that does not mean they  were all sick, it means they were exposed. ”

Detergent pods

Dr. Cathleen Clancy, associate medical director of the National Capital Poison Center, explains the dangers of the pods.  “They are double concentrated,” Clancy reported to ABC News. “They also have a very attractive packaging so the kids see them, touch them to their mouths, the surface coating dissolves as it is supposed to in the machine and then the insides are under a little pressure, especially if your gripping them with little toddler hands. “  “It squirts into your mouth, it’s very concentrated. You take a breath, some of it goes into your lungs, you start to cough, oxygen saturation goes down, you don’t have quite enough oxygen to your brain, you get lethargic, then you don’t breathe, then you throw up.”

Detergent pods

Dr. Lewis-Younger recommends that people not buy them that have children below the age of 5 in their home. However, if you’re going to buy them, “they need to be in a locked location, high.” She said if there is an exposure to call the Poison Control Center—the number is 800-222-1222.

Information received from ABC News

 

 

 

 

 

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