A new study released in late April by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that laundry detergent pods are a dangerous threat to young children. Emergency department doctors at Dell Children’s Medical Center say they, too, have noticed an increase in these cases.
“Most of the time, when kids get into household cleaners, they get exposed to a small amount and then quickly spit it out,” says Sujit Iyer, MD, assistant medical director at Dell Children’s ER. “But in this case, a super-concentrated amount explodes in their mouth.”
Eric Higginbotham, MD, medical director of the emergency department at Dell Children’s agrees. “Even small amounts can cause more serious side effects than other things that kids get into.”
To keep children safe, Dell Children’s recommends the following:
- Keep items high and secure.
- Use multiple layers of protection. For example, store items in a hard to open container, which is also placed out of reach.
- Consider using liquid detergents instead of pods.
Keep the number for Poison Control handy: 800-222-1222.
