1 week Ago By Eliza Loukou
A MUM has issued an urgent warning to other parents after her little girl was left temporarily blind when she turned away for an instant while doing laundry. Four-year-old Luca de Groot was helping her mum Jodi Lowe with the washing in March when she bit into a Persil washing pod while Jodi's back was turned. 9 Mum Jodi Lowe, 34, with four-year-old Luca de Groot Credit: Kennedy News 9 Luca underwent three surgeries after a laundry pod burst in her face Credit: Kennedy News 9 She suffered injuries to her face and was left with visual impairment Credit: Kennedy News The pod burst onto Little Luca's face, who immediately began screaming and inadvertently rubbed the product across her eyes before Jodi could intervene.
The mum-of-one rushed her daughter into the shower to try and rinse the chemicals out and checked the washing pod packaging, which said to "immediately flush [eyes] with water...
and seek medical advice". As Luca's screaming worsened, a panicked Jodi took her little one to hospital, where doctors rushed her into surgery after four attempts to flush her eyes out failed. A second operation found a defect in Luca's eye, while a third surgery saw her receive an amniotic membrane transplant to help promote healing.
Read more on burns HOUSEHOLD HORROR Mum's laundry pod warning after daughter's 'horrendous' third-degree burns ORDEAL 'Guilt-stricken' mum relives horror of finding her screaming baby with nasty burn Shocking photos show Luca's red, swollen eyes covered in painful blisters and scabs , which broke out days after exposure to the detergent. After 16 days in hospital, Luca was able to go home but her sight is yet to fully recover from the accident. The washing capsule , sold as Omo in Australia but marketed under the name Persil in the UK, was branded as a three in one "comfort freshness" capsule.
Jodi, who lives in Perth, Western Australia, believes warnings on the packaging need to be improved in light of her daughter's severe injuries. Most read in Health HORRIBLE HABITS Smoking, drinking and laziness damage your body younger than you think 'MAJOR MILESTONE' Number of fit adults in UK soars - but 3 major groups still lag behind TERRIFYING 'Sporty' teen sent home from school with headache actually had inoperable cancer SEXUAL HEALING The number of times you need to have sex weekly to stave off depression Jodi, a 34-year-old sales manager, said: "Luca was helping me with the laundry and I gave her the pod just to hold while I put the washing on. "And by the time I'd turned around, she'd already bitten into it and it went into her eyes.
They're quite solid so when you pop them, they spray. 'Guilt-stricken' mum relives horror of finding her screaming baby with nasty burn "And kids being kids she rubbed her eyes, which meant it went across both eyes. "She's never had the urge to bite before.
It's very out of character for her. She helps me with the laundry a lot but doesn't normally play with them. "They do look and smell quite nice .
They're attractive to kids. "I put her into the shower and looked at the back of the product and it said to 'seek medical advice' so I didn't think it was going to cause much of an issue. 9 Luca bit into the laundry pod while her mum's back was turned Credit: Kennedy News 9 Her mum rinsed her eyes out but the tot continued screaming Credit: Kennedy News 9 Luca was in hospital for 16 days Credit: Kennedy News "She was screaming and really upset.
"I noticed she wasn't calming down, she was still hysterical. I called a poison line and asked for advice and they told me to go to hospital." While in hospital, Luca underwent three surgeries after doctors found a defect in her left eye, before having an amniotic membrane transplant in which surgeons apply a piece of amniotic membrane to the surface of the eye to help speed up healing.
After a 16-day hospitalisation, Luca was discharged but doctors believe she will have redness around her eyes for the next six to 12 months. Are laundry capsules dangerous? Liquid laundry are safe when used as intended and as specified on the product packaging. As with any other detergent, it's important to store them in a safe place before and after use.
Make sure the bag or box is fully sealed and always keep them out of reach of children and vulnerable people. The liquid detergent in washing pods and capsules is up to five times more concentrated than powder, according to The Child Accident Prevention Trust . Little ones may mistake brightly coloured laundry pods for sweets and bite into them, or they may think they are a toy and squeeze them so hard they burst.
They could lead to severe injuries - in some cases warranting skin grafts - and if the alkaline chemicals get into the eyes, it can burn and lead to long-term eyesight problems. That’s why washing pods and capsules should be kept out of reach of children at all times. If your child has swallowed part of a washing pod: Get medical help Do not make the child sick this can cause more damage If your child has part of a washing pod on their skin or eyes: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes Get medical help Source: UK Cleaning Products Industry Association , The Child Accident Prevention Trust .
Jodi said: "There was a point where they thought she'd need a fourth surgery because she wasn't opening her eyes but we managed to encourage her to open her eyes. "Her sight in her left eye isn't fully there yet but is coming back slowly. She has a slight vision impairment.
"It could've been a lot worse. It's been pretty traumatic. It's not easy seeing your daughter in so much pain with nothing you can do.
" 'One incident too many' Jodi believes the current warnings on the Persil and Omo packaging are 'not good enough', insisting that they should be changed. Jodi said: "I know [Persil] say keep them away from the kids but on the packet it doesn't say anything about going to a hospital. It just says 'seek medical advice'.
"It needs to be more. It's not good enough how it is. "I didn't realise the extent of injuries they could cause.
You wouldn't think direct contact could cause pretty excessive burns, three surgeries and 16 days in hospital. "There needs to be more awareness on their packaging." A spokesman for Unilever - which owns the global laundry brand - said: "Consumer safety is of paramount importance to Unilever.
Any incident with children involving laundry capsules is one too many. Read more on the Scottish Sun HOLIDAY'S OVER UK travel company forced to close with ALL future holidays cancelled AIR WE GO Shoppers run to Home Bargains as viral garden light returns with 'cute' twist "Our liquid detergent capsules are not intended for use by children, and packaging is fitted with child safety closures and warnings on the front and back of pack. "We have spoken to the mother about her child’s incident and will conduct a review of the warnings and safety advice on our laundry capsule range in Australia.
" 9 Jodi wants warnings on laundry pod packaging to be updated Credit: Kennedy News 9 She said it should be more clear that kids may need to go to hospital if they get pod liquid in their eyes Credit: Kennedy News 9 Luca might have redness around her eyes for the next six to 12 months Credit: Kennedy News.
