This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Liquid laundry detergent capsules present pediatric dangers
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A common liquid detergent sold in gel-packs can burst and cause temporary ocular damage in children, according to a recent report.
Noel Horgan, MD, and colleagues described the cases of six children seen in Dublin, Ireland, over the course of a 6-month period, who all squeezed capsules containing liquid washing detergent until they burst, “splashing the caustic contents into the eye.”
The patients ranged in age from 18 months to 3 years. All suffered alkali ocular injuries after bursting the handheld gel tablets, the physicians said in a letter to The Lancet. Four children suffered “significant” injuries to the conjunctiva. All of the cases responded to treatment, and no permanent injuries were experienced, according to the authors.
Procter & Gamble, maker of the laundry detergent involved in the cases, said in a statement that its Liquid Detergent Tablets had been on the market since 2001 and that labeling clearly indicates the product should be kept out of reach of children. A statement issued to the press said P&G’s safety evaluations concluded that “accidental exposure of the eye caused no lasting damage.”
The letter is published in the August issue of The Lancet.