Doctors' warning after soaring numbers of children are hospitalised from poisoning

Alarming numbers of children are requiring urgent medical attention after eating gel laundry detergent capsules, a report has warned.

At least one child a day is admitted to hospital after mistaking them for sweets, researchers found.

The chances of children coming to serious harm - including difficulty breathing, coma and even death - is much higher for children swallowing the gel capsules than traditional powdered laundry detergent, an investigation found.

As a result, doctors have warned parents not to use them and to stick with normal washing powder instead - saying it is 'not worth the risk'.

The capsules, which contain a cocktail of chemicals, are usually brightly coloured and wrapped in clear plastic, and the consequences of eating them could be fatal without medical attention.

They have become popular in recent years as they save having to measure out washing powder and don’t clog up the detergent draw as they go straight in with the clothes.

Children can eat or swallow them - causing severe internal burns and swelling - or they can be hurt after the chemicals are rubbed or squirted into their eyes.

As part of the new study researchers analysed all calls to the Poison Control Centers, based in Virginia, between January 2013 until December 2014.

They found 62,254 were related to children under six years old being exposed to laundry and dishwasher detergent.

Butylphenyl methylpropional: A synthetic fragrance that is also used in a number of beauty products. It is considered safe only within recommended use of concentration.

However, it is a skin irritant and there have been tests that found that skin applications at high concentrations in animals caused sperm damage.

Alpha-isomethyl Ionone: Has been found to irritate the skin and trigger allergic reactions in some people. However, it is still found in detergents and other cosmetics that are not classed as a 'fragrance'.

Linalool, Hexyl cinnamal, Citronellol: Severe allergens that be listed on the label because they are severe allergens. Higher concentrations can even cause central nervous system disruption (thus their use in certain pesticides) and skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation. These chemicalc can also trigger asthma attacks.

This is significantly more than those relating to traditional laundry detergent (17 per cent), traditional dishwasher detergent (four per cent), or dishwasher detergent packets (5 per cent).

Some 45 per cent of the calls regarding the gel capsules were referred to a healthcare facility - such as a hospital - so the child could be evaluated and treated.

And the biggest rise in accidents was seen in calls relating to these packets - an increase of 17 per cent over the the two years.

Poison helplines received more than 30 enquiries a day about them, the equivalent of one call every 45 minutes.

The most serious effects of swallowing detergent - coma, trouble breathing, heart problems, and death - were only seen when children swallowed the chemicals in laundry detergent packets, researchers found.

And the risk of a serious outcome - being sent to hospital or having a breathing tube inserted - was significantly higher for children harmed by the capsules than by any other type of laundry or dishwasher detergent, the report said.

Two children died in the two years studied - and both had swallowed the packets.

As a result, experts recommend that families with children younger than six years old use traditional detergent instead of the gel capsules.

Co-author Dr Marcel Casavant, chief of toxicology at Nationwide Children's Hospital and medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center, said: 'Many families don't realise how toxic these highly concentrated laundry detergent packets are.

'Use traditional laundry detergent when you have young kids in your home. It isn't worth the risk when there is a safer and effective alternative available.'

The packets should be stored up, away, and out of sight  - ideally in a locked cabinet, according to advice on the capsules from the American Society for Testing and Materials.

And boxes of the capsules should be put away immediately after use, it added.

The study was published online today in the journal Pediatrics.

It follows previous research which found on average more than one child a day needs emergency medical treatment in Britain after mistaking them for sweets.

Figures from the National Poisons Information Service show that 1,486 patients were treated for detergent poisoning between May 2009 and July 2012. Nearly all were under five.

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