What happens if a baby eats a mothball?

Ingestion of one moth ball can be toxic to a young child, and even lethal if G6PD deficiency is present in that child. A key symptom is jaundice (yellow skin) which can progress to organ damage and death.

Can mothballs harm baby?

Storing treasured baby clothes in mothballs can be lethal, say leading pediatricians from Australia and New Zealand. The doctors say the fumes could lead to severe brain damage in babies and even death from the insecticide naphthalene used in mothballs.

What happens when you eat a mothball?

An active ingredient in some mothballs is naphthalene. If swallowed, naphthalene can damage red blood cells, causing kidney damage and many other problems. It can affect how blood carries oxygen to the heart, brain, and other organs. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures and coma.

How much mothballs is toxic?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States has established a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 10 ppm for naphthalene. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established an immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) value of 250 ppm for naphthalene.

Is moth balls toxic to humans?

The chemicals in mothballs are toxic to humans and pets. People are exposed to the chemicals in mothballs by inhaling the fumes. If you smell mothballs, you are being exposed to these chemicals. Children or pets sometimes mistake mothballs for food or candy and eat them, which can cause serious effects.

If your Baby has Swallowed Something Poisonous - First Aid Training - St John Ambulance

Can you eat mothballs?

Mothballs can also be dangerous if they are chewed or eaten. Children, pets and wildlife may mistake them for food or candy and eat them. One mothball can cause serious harm if eaten by a small child. If someone has swallowed a mothball, call the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222 for emergency medical advice.

Is naphthalene balls cause death?

The fatal dose for naphthalene in humans is unknown, but as little as one mothball can result in toxicity in children. Deaths have been reported the following ingestion of naphthalene balls. Naphthalene is erratically absorbed when ingested in the pediatric population.

What happens if you eat naphthalene balls?

Naphthalene is a white solid substance with a strong smell. Poisoning from naphthalene destroys or changes red blood cells so they cannot carry oxygen. This can cause organ damage.

How long does naphthalene stay in your system?

The body dissolves naphthalene in your blood, which carries it to the liver and other organs. It then passes through your body and exits in the urine and waste matter. Most naphthalene leaves the body within three days.

Are naphthalene balls the same as mothballs?

Older mothballs consisted primarily of naphthalene, but due to naphthalene's flammability, many modern mothball formulations instead use 1,4-dichlorobenzene. The latter formulation may be somewhat less flammable, although both chemicals have the same NFPA 704 rating for flammability.

How many mothballs can cause death?

A number of deaths have been reported following intentional ingestion of naphthalene-containing mothballs (ATSDR, 1990). The estimated lethal dose of naphthalene is 5-15 g for adults and 2-3 g for children.

Are naphthalene balls toxic?

Naphthalene, an ingredient in mothballs, is well absorbed following ingestion, dermal contact, or inhalation. Exposure often causes headache, altered mental status, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever [1]. Ingestion of naphthalene mothballs also commonly causes hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia [2].

What do you do if you touch a mothball?

If ingested, seek medical attention immediately! If you have found mothballs, do not touch them with your bare hands: use gloves. Dispose of them in the same way that you dispose of other household hazardous waste. Ensure that you wash your hands afterwards as well.

How common is naphthalene poisoning?

Although naphthalene was widely used industrially, only nine cases of poisoning have been reported since 1947 as of 1956, suggesting underdiagnosis of the condition. As a result, the condition has limited coverage within medical journals.

How do you get mothball smell out of baby clothes?

One of the most successful methods for ridding the mothball smell from clothing is to soak the affected garments in a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. Alternatively, put the clothes in the washing machine and run a cycle using only vinegar; follow up with another wash cycle using detergent and softener.

What happens if a dog eats a mothball?

Perhaps the most toxic commonly found mothball ingredient is camphor. Camphor ingestion results in central nervous system poisoning where a dog can become agitated and develop seizures. The signs will occur quickly after ingestion and can be life-threatening.

Do mothballs dissolve?

A mothball that is being used and has been exposed to air will begin to dissolve around 2-3 months when used properly and can take double that amount of time to fully dissolve. Once mothballs start to dissolve, they usually can still be effective, but less effective as time goes on.

How fast do mothballs work?

How long do mothballs take to work? Mothballs get to work as soon as you place them in the area you wish to protect, and will work best in an enclosed area where the moths are trapped with the fumes. They can protect your clothing from moths and larvae for up to 3 months.

Why do I smell like mothballs?

People with sinus problems often emit a scent reminiscent of mothballs. This is because the mucus formed when you have a stuffy nose or congested throat contains very dense proteins. It is these proteins, which are hard for the body to break down, that contain that very distinctive odour.

What are moth balls made of?

The pyrethroid in modern mothballs is odourless. Traditional moth balls, the ones we know from our childhoods, contain one of two chemicals, napthalene or paradichlorobenzene. These are white opaque crystal-like balls and they have a tell-tale strong, unpleasant, acrid smell.

Do moth balls keep snakes away?

Mothballs are commonly thought to repel snakes, but they are not intended to be used this way and have little effect on snakes.

Will Febreze get rid of mothball smell?

Similar to cleaning clothing, I like to spray my furniture with Febreze Fabric or Febreze Fabric Extra Strength depending on the severity of the mothball scent.

Does mothball smell wash out?

If the smell is mothball smell is strong you may want to try one of the methods outlined below. Method 1 Wash the clothes with white vinegar Use a solution of white vinegar and water to get rid of mothball smells. Add one cup of white vinegar for every load you wash.

Why do new jeans smell like mothballs?

The stinky odor that you smell from your new clothes is because of the formaldehyde applied to them in the manufacturing process in order to prevent molds, bacteria, mildew, and other substances that may wear out the cloth while they are still stocked in the warehouse.

What are the symptoms of being slowly poisoned?