On Friday, a one-year-old died after eating a laundry detergent pod.

WKMG Local 6 reports that the boy, who was staying at a domestic abuse shelter with his mother, was rushed to a Florida hospital after he was found eating a highly concentrated gel tab of laundry detergent.

"The death ... is a tragedy. It reminds all of us as parents the dangers of leaving household cleaning supplies around our little ones. Unfortunately, on average we lose 20 children each year to accidental poisoning in the state of Florida," said Terri Durdaller, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Children and Families.

"We have had prior history with this family and at this time our investigation is open and ongoing. We continue to work with law enforcement as the investigation moves forward into the circumstances surrounding the poisoning," she continued.

Although an official cause of death won’t be established for another 12 weeks, the one-year-old likely died from immediate complications brought on by the ingestion of the detergent pod.

Dr. Cynthia Younger of the The Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa cautions parents that toddlers may confuse the soft, colorful gel tabs with toys or candy.

"Probably these are not the best products to be in the homes of young children," she said. "There are certainly other forms of laundry detergent available. But if they're going to be purchased, they need to be locked up, in a very high place so the children can't get them."

Speaking to The Orlando Sentinel, Florida Poison Information Center nurse JoAnn Chambers-Emerson noted that the dangers of highly concentrated detergents first became apparent in Europe, where the first versions of the product were sold.

"It was a big surprise because we thought we knew everything about laundry detergent and how it acts in the body," she said. "The kids not only have vomiting, but it seems to be prolonged vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing and drowsiness; so much so, that doctors were afraid children would aspirate into their lungs."

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) note that so far this year, they have received reports of 5,753 accidental exposures to similar detergent pods. Although some companies have already switched to opaque packaging to avoid future incidents, the product is relatively new to the market, and clear packaging versions will likely persist on the shelves for some time.