Collapsible wire hampers commonly used for storing laundry at home are not as safe as they appear to be. They can pose a risk to children's eyes, a team of researchers warns parents.
A report published in Pediatrics cites the cases of two children who nearly lost their vision after the exposed wires on the collapsible laundry hamper accidently pierced their eyes.
"The wire has fabric holding it in place, and it's like a humongous spring," study co-author Dr. Iris Kassem, an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Medicine, told Web MD. "When the fabric becomes frayed, the wire pops out and the end of the wire is very sharp."
In the first case, an 11-year-old boy suffered a corneal laceration while he was storing clothes in a collapsible laundry hamper. The accident happened when the wires inside the hamper released unexpectedly and hit his right eye, Web MD reported. The boy developed exotropia, a condition where the eye points outward. Doctors had to conduct two eye surgeries to return his eye sight.
The second one was a 23-month-old girl, who also got an eye injury from the wires and developed a visual disorder called lazy eye. Apart from undergoing a surgery, she had to wear a patch and glasses for more than a year, Reuters Health reported.
"This now represents a significant pattern of eye injury and suggests that there exists a nontrivial risk for all children in households with this type of collapsible laundry hamper," the researchers concluded. "Parents should receive a warning of the risks of these hampers."
Concerned with the incidences, health experts urged companies to add proper warning labels on their collapsible wire hampers. They said parents should take extra precautions to keep the hamper away from their children's reach and to dispose of a hamper when the fabric gets damaged.
