Since 2005, 7,562 accidental exposures to the liquid contained in these pods have been reported, including 104 serious cases. 9 times out of 10, these are children under 5 years old.
While individual liquid laundry capsules invade supermarket shelves, health authorities are sending a warning message on Tuesday regarding exposure to these products. The French poison control and toxicovigilance centers have reported a sharp increase in accidents, mainly with children, linked to these water-soluble liquid detergent pods.
From 2005 to 2012, 7,562 accidental exposures to the liquid contained in these pods were introduced. Note that 104 of them were still classified as serious, with respiratory complications or severe eye damage. The annual number of cases of this type of accident is currently more than twice as high as that linked to conventional laundry. According to the public authorities, this increase would obviously be correlated with the rapid growth of the market for these liquid pods.
Children under 5 in 92% of cases
“They were mainly children under 5 years old (92% of cases), of which 7% were under 1 year old”, specifies the press release from the Directorate General of Health (DGS) Still according to the DGS , accidental exposure was mainly oral, ocular or cutaneous, often multiple. Symptoms were digestive (vomiting, irritation, mucosal damage), ocular (conjunctivitis, corneal damage), respiratory (cough, breathing difficulties, infections) and skin (irritation, burns).
The characteristics of liquid detergent pods would explain this situation. Small in size and most often brightly colored, they have everything to appeal to the youngest. Finally, given that the outer casing is designed to break on contact with water, specialists point out that these pods also open on contact with saliva as soon as the child puts them in the mouth.
The Health Department therefore recalls that the detergent contained in these capsules is very aggressive for the skin and mucous membranes, and even corrosive in the event of prolonged contact. Thus, the DGS recalls the need to store all household products out of the reach of children.
However, in case of skin contact with this liquid, specialists advise to rinse immediately and abundantly during ten minutes.
In case of oral contact, it is recommended to clean the mouth with a washcloth or a clean damp cloth to remove as much product as possible and avoid drinks for 2 hours. By giving a compote, a dessert cream, bread or cakes to absorb the product, the digestive mucosa is thus coated.
Finally, if the detergent is projected into the eye, it is recommended to wash under a stream of water, if possible lukewarm, including under the eyelids for about ten minutes.
Finally, in all cases, as soon as the washing has been carried out or during washing, it is advisable to call or have a poison control center called for immediate medical advice. In the event of breathing difficulties, call 15 immediately.
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