A recent study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio has shown that those convenient and often colorful laundry and dish washing pods pose an alarming danger to young children. The US Poison Control center states that in 2012 and 2013 they received more than 17,000 calls (about one call per hour) regarding children that had been exposed to the chemicals in these household products. Seven hundred of the reported exposures resulted in hospitalization and one child died.
These laundry pods were first introduced to the market in 2012 and contain higher concentration of chemicals than traditional detergents. Their small size and colorful packaging make them especially attractive to young toddlers who are just beginning to explore their home environment. The most common effects of the chemical exposure are vomiting, choking, coughing, tiredness and eye irritation. More serious effects can include seizures, coma and stomach burns. Pediatric experts are warning parents and caregivers of the potential dangers associated with these products and encouraging them to keep all dangerous chemicals out of reach of young children in a locked cabinet. Follow this link for more information on this potential danger lurking inside your laundry room.
