Over 17,000 children were injured in 2012 – 2013 by single-load packets of laundry detergent, according to a new medical study published in the Journal of Pediatrics*. According to data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS), these children are consuming the contents of these products or squirting them in their eyes. To date, one child has died. Watch the video below.
These little packets, marketed as “pods”, were first sold in 2012 by Proctor and Gamble under the Tide brand. Other manufacturers sell similar products. The study found that monthly reports to the NPDS of children being injured from Tide and other pods increased 645.3% from March 2012 to April 2013.
The study published in the Journal of Pediatrics compiled information from the National Poison Data System. Researchers found that 17,230 children under 6 had been injured or otherwise adversely affected by laundry detergent pods in 2012-2013. Below are some of the findings from the study:
- 73.5% of the children injured were under 3 years of age;
- 79.7% of the injuries were caused by ingesting the product, which is so caustic that it can cause chemical burns on children if they touch any of the liquid inside the pouch;
- 4.4% of the children were hospitalized;
- 7.5% experienced a moderate or major medical outcome;
- 102 children required tracheal intubation after ingestion and/or aspiration of the pod liquid. A spectrum of clinical effects from minor to serious was seen with ingestion and ocular exposures.
- One child’s death was linked to contact with a laundry pod.
The problem appears to be that the products look like candy. One grandmother started a change.org petition after her grandson bit into a detergent pod and, in her words, “nearly died.”
Attorney Fred Pritzker and and his team can help your child sue the company for personal injury from a laundry pod. Our product liability lawyers have won millions for children, including a recent 8-figure settlement.
*“Pediatric Exposure to Laundry Detergent Pods,” A. Veldez, M. Casavant, H. Spiller, T. Chounthirath, H. Xiang, G. Smith, Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 134, Number 6, December 2014.
Another product has caused personal injury to children. In 2011, certain instant soup cups were spilling hot soup on children, causing burns, according to NPR. This design issue has been addressed.