Children eating laundry gel that looks like sweets as new alert issued
- Laundry capsules are being mistaken for sweets by one child every day
- It leaves them at risk of internal burns and even going into a coma
- A survey found there were more than 2,000 recorded cases in five years
Ben Spencer Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail
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Toxic laundry capsules are being mistaken for sweets by at least one child every day, leaving them at risk of internal burns, breathing difficulties, temporary blindness and going into a coma.
In a ‘deeply alarming’ trend, youngsters are attracted to the bright colours of the liquid or gel capsules, which contain a cocktail of harmful chemicals.
A survey by the National Poisons Information Service found there were more than 2,000 recorded cases in five years – more than one a day, usually involving a child under five.
In the worst cases, four suffered breathing difficulties, one’s airway was burned and four had to be put on a ventilator.
Toxic laundry capsules are being mistaken for sweets by at least one child every day
There were 404 cases in 2014, 424 in 2013, 422 in 2012, 434 in 2011 and 486 in 2010, according to the most recent yearly breakdown of incidents. Jenny Maher spent a week in intensive care last November when she was just 17 months old after biting into a bright pink Surf capsule for less than a second and swallowing half the liquid inside.
Doctors in Drogheda, Ireland, who had to put her into a coma, said it was only due to the quick reaction of her mother Sarah in rushing her to hospital that Jenny’s life was saved.
The infant’s father Colin said: ‘It was very serious and very scary. Jenny could have died.’
Izzi Seccombe, of the Local Government Association, which represents the local councils that are now responsible for public health, said: ‘Councils have concerns over the number of incidents involving a child and laundry capsules.
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‘Their brightly coloured appearance and small size mean a lot of children mistake them for sweets.
‘If they bite into the capsule it will cause a cocktail of harmful chemicals to dissolve in their mouth and be ingested, causing serious harm.
‘Keeping these tablets in a place where children can’t access them, either locked away or in a cupboard they can’t reach, would significantly reduce the chances of a young child getting hold of them.
‘The frequency with which these incidents are happening – at least once a day – is deeply alarming. Yet they can be easily prevented.’
Sheila Merrill, public health adviser at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, added: ‘All household chemicals should be stored either up high or in a lockable cupboard.
‘Keep an eye out if you are doing the laundry while children are present too, as it only takes a second for them to get hold of one.’
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