KISSIMMEE, Fla., Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A 7-month-old Florida boy died after eating a laundry detergent packet, officials said.
If it is confirmed that the boy, identified as Michael Williams, died from a chemical in the packet, his death would be the first reported death in the nation tied to the detergent packets, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Kissimmee police were called to a battered-women's shelter, where Michael's mother told authorities that she had placed the detergent packets in a laundry basket on the bed next to where her son was sleeping.
She said she stepped briefly and when she returned, Michael had eaten one packet and was starting to eat another, said Stacie Miller, a Kissimmee police spokeswoman.
"I didn't realize how potent those things are," Miller said.
Michael was conscious and alert when emergency responders arrived, but was coughing. He was transported to a local hospital, where his condition worsened and he died.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in 2012 that "children might be attracted to the pods because their colorful appearance and size are similar to candy."
"The death of little Michael is a tragedy," said Florida Department of Children and Families spokeswoman Terri Durdaller. "It reminds all of us as parents the dangers of leaving household cleaning supplies around our little ones."
