More than 17,230 children, under the age of 6, have been poisoned by laundry packets, according to a study in the journal, Pediatrics. Only about 4.4% of the children were hospitalized and there has only been 1 death.
When children ingest these pods they can go into respiratory distress and vomit. They can also get the soap into their eyes and it can cause severe irritation.
Doctors and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are pushing for improved packaging and better labeling. They say the pods are sometimes mistaken for candy. Ultimately, it is up to parents to keep harmful products out of reach of children. Keep them on the top shelf or in a locked cabinet. Use the same measures you would use for any other cleaning supply in your home.
