Liquitab Warning

Parents are being urged to store liquitab safely following several cases of eye injuries involving children.

21:56 03 February 2017

Liquitab or liquid detergent tablets are causing the rise of eye injuries in young children in the past few years as the youngsters mistaken them for brightly-coloured sweets. When the liquid squirts into children’s eyes, or is rubbed in via their hands, it can cause chemical burns. A US research found that children under five are most at risk.

 

The tablets contain alkaline chemicals that can burn the eyes and cause long-term eyesight problems. If swallowed, the chemical can cause serious breathing problems. In such cases, parents are advised to call emergency services right away.

 

A study conducted by JAMA Ophthalmology has found that there were 1,200 eye burn injuries related to liquid tables between 2010 and 2015. Most cases involve three and four-year-old children. There was a stark increase of incidents from just 12 in 2012 to a whopping 480 in 2015.

 

Sheila Merrill, public health adviser at the Society, said: "Due to their inquisitive nature, children under the age of five are most at risk of accidentally swallowing or getting household cleaning products, like liquid laundry capsules, into their eyes.

 

"Even products with a child-resistant closure cannot guarantee safety - they only reduce the risk by delaying access to the product."

 

Dr R. Sterling Haring, from John Hopkins University, who collected the data, said that more could be done to prevent injuries in the under-fives. He said: "In addition to proper storage and use of these devices, prevention strategies might include redesigning packaging to reduce the attractiveness of these products to young children and improving their strength and durability,"