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Parents Warned: Child Dies After Eating Laundry Detergent Pod

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - New highly concentrated laundry detergent may be convenient — but they can also be dangerous.

A 7-month old Florida boy has died after eating a packet of newly marketed concentrated detergent.

Since the products hit stores in May, 2012, nearly 6,000 cases of poisoning have been reported, with a few children being hospitalized.

Beaumont Hospital registered nurse Erica Surman tells WWJ Newsradio 950 that kids, especially those under age 5, are drawn to the detergent's packaging.

"It's so appealing," said Surman. "It's shiny, it looks like candy, it's bright colors — and even if you see most of the packaging, there's a big bowl and it looks like a candy bowl."

Surman recommends keeping concentrated detergent where kids can't get to it.

"This is a cleaning product and it needs to be locked away like all cleaning products are," she said.

Surman urges parents to program the poison control hotline number into their phones, in case of an emergency.  That number is 1-800-222-1222.

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