Poisonous detergent pods look like candy

July 1, 2012

With more children being sickened by them, the companies that make detergent pods have promised to make changes.

It's bright, bite-sized and to 1-year-old Isabella Sutton, it might have looked a little like candy and that's what her mother thought she was eating.

"Yeah candy, it just figured they got into candy and were eating candy," said Jessica Sutton.

But minutes after it burst in her mouth, Isabella Sutton had severe vomiting and diarrhea.

"You don't think about safety proofing laundry detergent," Jessica Sutton said.

New reports show nearly 1,200 kids have been poisoned by similar detergent packs in the past five months, some severely.

At least 11 children have been placed on ventilators.

Poison centers across the country see an average of 10 cases a day, some as many as 28.

The makers of Tide told ABC News in May that they planned to have new childproof containers out by summer.

It hasn't happened yet, but Proctor and Gamble says it will.

The packaging on their canisters will soon have double latch lids and a larger warning and they say it has already started shipping and should be on shelves soon.

In the meantime, poison control experts say pods from any detergent makers should not just be out of reach of children, they should be locked up.

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