NEW ORLEANS – A Louisiana mother is thankful that her two-year-old is on the road to recovery after biting into a laundry detergent pod.
The little girl was in intensive care for several days with a chemical burn to the cornea of her right eye. The girl’s parents, Danielle Henderson and Justin Pichon, say the girl’s eye was swollen shut and she could not eat or speak.
Henderson says doctors tested the girl’s eye with an acidic strip and learned there was still detergent in her eye.
Doctors say eight children have died from biting into laundry pods. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, nearly 10,600 children under the age of five years old ingested, inhaled or had laundry pod detergent in their eyes in 2017. As of 2018, about 1,200 children have been exposed.
Dr. Michael Wasserman says the best way prevent an incident is to lock up the detergent and dishwashing pods and keep children out of the laundry room.
Wasserman said the pods can sometimes look like candy and young children do not understand that it can be unsafe.
Wasserman says that if your child is exposed to detergent, put the exposed area under the sink in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Parents should also call 911 or Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.
“You cannot overdo rinsing this with water,” Wasserman said.