Laundry Detergent Gel Caps - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports

The bright-colored soft-plastic wrapping around laundry detergent capsules is proving to be tempting for children.

Hospitals are treating more and more children who have swallowed the gel packs; perhaps, believing they were candy.

So far, this year, U.S. Poison Control hotlines have had more than 2,900 calls involving the detergent packs and children under age five.

According to the findings in the British Medical Journal, the detergent in the capsules can destroy tissue and cause intense inflammation and swelling.