Savvy Aunties may have put gates up across the stairs and locked the medicine cabinets in anticipation when their toddler nieces or nephews stay overnight, but there may be another danger to account for - an unexpected toxin may be lurking in your linen closet, near the laundry basket.

New, brightly colored and small single-concentrated packets of laundry detergent called Tide Pods, which are sold in jars that oddly resemble candy jars, have proven a tempting treat for unsuspecting toddlers. But these detergents are toxic and potentially deadly. Poison centers and ERs have been reporting cases of kids getting into these packets with much more severe effects.

Usually, ingesting laundry detergent results in mild stomach upset if any symptoms at all. However, perhaps because of the concentrated nature of the product packed in such a small brightly colored, easily-edible packaging along with some potential other ingredients, these poisonings are making kids very sick. Emergency rooms are reporting rapid onset of symptoms shortly after ingestion of vomiting and then severe breathing problems, requiring these children be placed on life-support ventilators.

The manufacturers are working on child-proof safety designs for their containers, but Savvy Aunties know that there is no substitute for vigilance at keeping toddlers away from all potential poisons by placing them or locking them away in spots not accessible to the prying hands and eyes of little nieces or nephews!

Photo: photostock
Published: June 26, 2012