Single-Use Detergent Packs Entice Kids

Those bright colorful single-use laundry detergent packs are growing in popularity, but they're also becoming a problem with young children ingesting them.

Already this year there have been at least 250 cases of illness from the packs reported to poison control centers across the country.

And the particulars of the illnesses are worrisome. Children vomit. More than you would expect, says Dr. Michael Beuhler, medical director of the Carolinas Poison Center in Charlotte, N.C. And the kids often get much sicker in a hurry. "Children grow excessively tired and lethargic," he tells Shots. Some then develop so much trouble breathing they need help from a ventilator.
"We don't have a good handle on exactly what's going on," he says. But the symptoms are worse than with other types of detergent that kids ingest. One hypothesis, he says, is that something in these detergent packs is acting like a strong, short-acting sedative.

Within a few hours those symptoms usually pass. The prognosis for kids is very good overall, he says, assuming they get prompt medical care. "It's really just a matter of supporting their breathing for that short period of time," he says.

There haven't been any reports of deaths, but an analysis of the data from poison control centers continues. The specific hazards posed by the detergent packs were only recognized this month.

Buehler says parents need to treat the detergent packs with respect. "They can't be left where a child can find them," he says.

After reports that children accidentally put Tide Pods in their mouths, Procter & Gamble is partnering closely with the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) to promote the instructions on safe handling, usage and disposal of the laundry detergents, and remind the public that cleaning products must be kept out of the reach of young children.

For its part, P&G says it has employed its best learnings on how to inform consumers about proper usage instructions, and has designed and labeled the product in a way that helps consumers in safe handling the product. Since the launch in February 2012, P&G has improved the tub lid with a double latch closure and this lid will be available on several sizes in the stores as of July 2012. P&G says it will continue to explore ways on how to increase and further enhance its educational efforts on safe usage.

Other tips from P&G include:

Storage
? Keep laundry products out of children’s reach
? Keep products in their original container, with the label intact
? Immediately put products away in their appropriate storage location after use

During Use
?Follow all recommended product instructions, and pay particularly close attention to all ‘Caution’, ‘Warning’, ‘Danger’, or ‘Poison’ statements
? Clean up immediately after any spills that may occur
? Be sure to wash your hands after doing laundry, as well as any utensils you use to dispense measure products
? Aim to take care of laundry and other cleaning chores during your child’s downtime (such as naptime), to help ensure your attention is not diverted while using laundry and cleaning products to help avoid unintended exposure

Disposal
? Follow the recommended product disposal information that is indicated on the label
? Never use empty detergent containers for storage of any other materials, especially for anything intended for human consumption