What to do if your baby accidentally swallows detergent

In our daily life, we use a lot of detergents, but everyone knows that these detergents are actually harmful to the body. If you accidentally ingest a large amount of detergent, it can cause great harm to your body, so generally speaking, you need to pay attention to many issues when storing detergent. Although no one would accidentally ingest detergent, what should you do if your baby accidentally ingests detergent?

What to do if you accidentally ingest detergent

The main ingredients of laundry detergent are lauryl sulfate, sodium polyphosphate and fluorescent agent. After taking it, people may experience chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, vomiting blood and bloody stools, as well as pain in the mouth and throat. If you accidentally drink laundry detergent, you should induce vomiting as soon as possible. After vomiting, you can drink milk, egg white, soy milk, or thick rice soup, and go to the hospital for treatment immediately.

Detergents used to wash dishes, vegetables and fruits are also easy to be accidentally drunk. Their main ingredients are sodium carbonate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium silicate and some surfactants, and their alkalinity is stronger than that of laundry detergent. Because of its strong alkaline nature, accidental ingestion can cause great damage to the esophagus and stomach, with more serious consequences. After accidentally ingesting it, you should immediately take about 200 ml of milk or yogurt, fruit juice, etc., and at the same time give a small amount of cooking oil to relieve irritation to the mucous membrane, and go to the hospital for emergency treatment. Generally speaking, vomiting and gastric lavage are strictly prohibited.

As for toilet cleaners used for cleaning the bathroom, they are rarely ingested accidentally, but if taken intentionally they are more toxic and the consequences are more serious. Among these detergents, liquid ones are mostly prepared with hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, while the main ingredient of the powder is aminosulfonic acid, which is easily soluble in water and is also strongly acidic.

Accidental ingestion of these highly acidic detergents can easily cause chemical burns to the esophagus and stomach, which are difficult to treat. Severe burning pain occurs in the mouth, pharynx, behind the sternum and abdomen.

If there are symptoms and signs such as large amounts of brown matter and mucosal fragments in the vomit, you should be alert to strong acid detergent poisoning. Immediately take milk, soy milk, egg white and peanut oil orally, and go to the hospital for emergency treatment as soon as possible. Avoid inducing vomiting, gastric lavage or enema.