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Industry Adopts Changes To Laundry Packets Amid Safety Concerns

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Detergent packets can be a convenient way to do the laundry but to a toddler they can look like candy.

Two years ago Angela Avent said her daughter Raniyah had to go on life support, when she ate a packet as a toddler.

"She was foaming at the mouth, couldn't breathe, couldn't move. She was just lying there," said Avent.

A new study in the Journal of Pediatrics said there were more than 62,000 detergent related calls to poison control centers in 2013 and 2014.

There was a 17 percent rise in calls specifically about laundry packets. Among those, there were 17 cases of coma, six cases of respiratory arrest and two cases of cardiac arrest.

"This is something we want parents to know. They need to take caution with, put it behind a cabinet, put it behind you know a cabinet that locks," said Dr. Henry Spiller with Nationwide Children's.

Last year, consumer reports stopped recommending laundry packets because of the potential danger but the industry said it is adopting new voluntary safety changes.

Procter and Gamble, the maker of Tide pods and Gain flings, introduced new pods this year that are stronger. They also contain a bitter tasting substance on the outer film to stop kids from biting into them.

"We are introducing a new bag with a child guard zipper," said a Procter and Gamble spokesperson.

The new packages hit store shelves next month. Safety advocates plan to monitor the changes to make sure they prevent poisonings.

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