Canadian parents and caregivers are being warned that those colourful little laundry detergent “pods” that recently entered the market might be cute and convenient, but they can be highly dangerous to kids.
Health Canada issued a notice to its website Thursday to say it’s aware of several incidents of children ingesting miniature laundry detergent packs.
The pods contain highly-concentrated detergent inside packets that are designed to dissolve quickly in liquid. The problem is that kids often mistake the brightly-coloured packs for candy and swallow them, leading to poisoning and hospitalization.
In the U.S., more than 1,000 children have been poisoned -- and the numbers are going up fast.
In May, around 250 cases had been reported to poison control centres. By late June, that figure had risen to 1,000, The New York Times reports.
No deaths have been reported, but some of the cases have been severe. At least 11 children in the U.S. had to be placed on ventilators, presumably because of damage to their throats from the corrosive chemicals.
Now, Health Canada is warning Canadians about the problem.
In Thursday’s notice, the agency offered no information on how many children in Canada have been affected. It says it’s working with the Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres to gather numbers on incidents reported to provincial poison control centres.
Health Canada says it is also conducting a review of the products to determine whether they meet applicable regulations.
The agency warned parents to take care when using the pods.
“Laundry detergents are powerful cleaning products that may contain ingredients which can lead to harmful health effects upon ingestion,” the agency warned.
“Children who swallow the detergent packs may experience a variety of serious symptoms including severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or breathing difficulty.”
It warns parents to keep laundry detergent packs in a place where they cannot be found by children.
“Consumers should also exercise caution with dishwasher detergent packs as they may pose the same risks. Children should not play with any consumer chemical products,” the agency notes.
It says all cleaning products, including laundry and dishwasher detergent packs, should be stored in a locked cabinet or drawer, out of the reach of children.
Procter & Gamble, the maker of Tide Pods, said in late May that it would create a new double-latch lid to deter children from accessing and eating the brightly colored detergent packets.
