Detergent manufacturer to make pods more childproof

ATLANTA — A major laundry detergent manufacturer tells Channel 2 Action News it will reinforce the lids of tubs containing Tide Pods.

The extra-strength liquid packet detergent and similar products have been linked to hundreds of poisonings in Georgia and across the country in young children who have swallowed or bitten the packets.

"If they are willing to do that, that would be an amazing thing. It would help in the safety factor," said parent Jessica Sutton.

Sutton spoke with Channel 2's Tom Regan a day after her toddler bit into a liquid detergent packet and got sick. The young girl vomited repeatedly, and her mother called Georgia Poison Control.

"She's doing a lot better. She's back to herself, but yesterday was pretty scary," said Sutton.

The director of the Georgia Poison Center told Regan its operators have handled two dozen emergency calls related to children exposed to liquid detergent packets. The children bite into the packets because they resemble candy, according to center director Dr. Gaylord Lopez.

Nationwide, more than 250 exposures or poisonings linked to liquid detergent packets have been reported. There have been no deaths, but doctors said some children have experienced severe respiratory problems and nausea.

On Thursday, a representative for Proctor and Gamble, the manufacturer of Tide Pods, told Regan that the company will place a double latch on the lids of tubs of the pods for added safety in the next several weeks. The new design is to make the product more childproof.

The company also reminds consumers to keep all cleaners and detergents far out of the reach of children.

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WSBTV