Child safety hazards: Detergent tablets mistaken for candy

Candies or detergent tablets?

Children are probably the most curious creatures around. They will want to investigate items that they come across by putting it up their nose, feeling it, and even eating it. This is why it is so important to be even more vigilant when your child starts crawling.

If you thought that your home was the safest place for your child, think again. There are many hidden child safety hazards lurking around the house.

Child safety hazards: What’s the new culprit?

Detergent tablets that resemble (you guessed it) candies are the latest threat! In the US, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of poisoning from these tablets which have been ingested by children from as young as 20 months.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centre, there have been 2,950 cases of children aged five and below who have ingested these colourful tablets, which is more than 10 cases a day. This has increased from 443 reported cases in May.

What makes these colourful pods even more potent is the fact that they are highly concentrated and can cause poisoning to young children. The giant US retailer Costco has reportedly stopped selling these pods in clear plastic jars last month.

Medicine – one of the common child safety hazards in Singaporean homes.

Signs of poisoning

Signs and symptoms of detergent ingestion include vomiting, drowsiness and respiratory problems and may resemble stomach flu. Although these colourful pods are not as common in Singapore, there are still other potential child safety hazards which can be found in your home. If you suspect that your child has swallowed any dangerous substance, call 995 for an emergency ambulance immediately.

1. Medicine

Bright pills and capsules might look like sweets to your child’s innocent eyes. Always keep these child safety hazards out of reach from your children and hidden from view. Keep them high up in a locked cabinet if you can.

2. Make-up

Make-up is used to beautify but can be harmful if ingested. Nail polishes and nail polish removers are highly toxic. Eyeliners, liquid foundation and lip products may not be as toxic but you would not want to risk your child ingesting any of these items either. Keep all these in a hard to reach place, your drawer and not on your vanity table where your child can just reach out and grab it.

Silica gel packets – Tiny but are highly poisonous child safety hazards

3. Silica gel packets

You can find these common child safety hazards in bags, new shoes and even in fancy packaging of certain food products. Kept in tiny sealed packets, small colourless round balls that look like jelly will come popping out if your child tears open one. Some silica gel beads contain toxic additives such as cobalt chloride which is carcinogenic, and also methyl violet, which is a form of poison, that can interfere with complex processes that should naturally occur in cells. Prevent your child from finding these child safety hazards by throwing away all the silica gel packets you find in new products that you buy.

Prevention is better than cure

When your child starts crawling, he will start exploring items in the house with his hands and mouth. It is best to keep these items hidden away, preferably under lock and key. You cannot always monitor your child but in order to prevent the worst from happening, it’s better to play safe than be sorry by baby-proofing your home.

Source: More kids eating colourful detergent capsules