A dangerous, new craze is known as the "Laundry Pod Challenge" and doctors say it could land them in the hospital.
In the latest social media fad, teenagers record themselves purposely eating laundry pods, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
Angie Long, vice president of clinical services at Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center, said she is not aware of any issues in this area, noting, "According to Proctor and Gamble, the Tide pods are highly concentrated and should only be used for laundry clearning."
Long warned, "Ingesting these pods can cause nausea, vomiting, and, if inhaled into the lungs, may cause breathing issues."
Medical experts warn that swallowing the contents of a detergent packet can cause life-threatening effects including coma, fluid in lungs and breathing failure.
The number of children exposed to the dangers of laundry detergent packets continued to increase, despite safety warnings and efforts by manufacturers to make packages more child resistant.
A new study shows that between 2013-2014, more than 62,254 calls were made to poison control centers after children were exposed to laundry detergent packets, a 17 percent increase in that two year span.
The Washington Post reported last year, U.S. poison control centers received reports of more than 10,500 children younger than 5 who were exposed to the capsules. The same year, nearly 220 teens were reportedly exposed, and about 25 percent of those cases were intentional, according to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. So far in 2018, there have been 37 reported cases among teenagers — half of them intentional, according to the data.
"Children who swallow the contents of laundry detergent packets can experience life-threatening effects, including coma, fluid in the lungs, and breathing failure; there were two deaths during the two-year study period," said Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Smith partnered with colleagues from the Central Ohio Poison Center to compare dishwasher and laundry detergents, sold in packets and in traditional liquid and powder forms.
Researchers found that laundry detergent packets were associated with more serious medical outcomes, more hospitalizations, and more breathing failure than traditional laundry detergent.
When children bite down on a packet, they can burst, sending toxic chemicals quickly down the throat. A serious poisoning can occur in the time it takes to turn to reach for a pair of socks.
If you think a child has been exposed to laundry detergent packets, call the National Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222.
Take a child to the doctor right away if he has been exposed to laundry detergent packets and is experiencing any of the following symptoms:
• Vomiting
• Choking/coughing
• Eye irritation, pain, or redness
• Nausea
• Drowsiness/lethargy
"Laundry detergent packets by far represented the biggest poisoning threat to children," he said.
Parents and child caregivers can help children stay safer by following these tips:
• People that have young children that live in or visit their home should use traditional laundry detergent, which is much less toxic than laundry detergent packets.
• Store all laundry detergent including packets up, away, and out of sight - in a locked cabinet is best.
• Close laundry detergent packet packages or containers and put them away immediately after use.
• Save the national Poison Help Line number, 1-800-222-1222, in your cell phone and post it near your home phones.