Ingested kettle descaler 38 weeks

[urgggggh]

Hi all

A bit worried as I think I've accidentally ingested kettle descaler and I'm 38weeks pregnant.

I descaled the kettle yesterday with scale away and set aside to soak. Later in the evening, DH made me a cup of tea but didn't realise the kettle was soaking in descaling agent (despite it being obviously set aside and me having mentioned I would be doing it!). So he just reboiled the water and made me a cup of tea. He's now told me he had to remake it because the first cup didn't work (he thought it was curdled but it must have been the descaler). So apparently he emptied the kettle and reboiled it and then made me a second cup which I drunk (having forgotten to remind him it was descaling).

I didn't notice a different taste but I'm now a bit worried because the package explicitly says you need to rinse at least twice. He said he only did it once (and even then I suspect he didn't really rinse it but just refilled it).

I wouldn't worry so much except that I'm 38 weeks pregnant and worried it will affect the baby. Unfortunately I've only just realised what happened as I'd forgotten I'd set it aside to soak until now.

Package says it contains sulphamic acid and phosphoric acid.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I can't find much online

Ring 111. They should have details about potential poisons (they certainly did when it was NHS Direct)

Unfortunately it's worse than I first thought. DH made dinner in between the descaling and cup of tea which meant he used the full kettle of descaler on the rice - which obviously absorbed everything so I've eaten a dinner full of descaler.

I've been to the maternal assessment unit and baby's movements are fine but they can't tell me what other effects it will have on the baby as they have had no experience and there's no data.

Would they deliver now? I think I'd want baby out in this scenario.

It’s an acid. Chemically the effects will be local only- on the tissues of you oesophagus and stomach. Any effects would be evident very quickly.

Generally to when you boil the kettle the reaction with limescale neutralises the acid.

There will be data- they could phone the poisons unit and ask.

@October2020

Would they deliver now? I think I'd want baby out in this scenario.

No they have sent me home. They can't really tell me much more.

I'd think the risk was probably not to the baby but damage to you in this case when it's something acidic, so if you are healthy then that's a good sign

@Nomoreusernames1244

It’s an acid. Chemically the effects will be local only- on the tissues of you oesophagus and stomach. Any effects would be evident very quickly.

Generally to when you boil the kettle the reaction with limescale neutralises the acid.

There will be data- they could phone the poisons unit and ask.

I've had no ill effects other than I did wake up last night feeling a bit nauseous. I haven't put two and two together until now.

They weren't that helpful on the poisons front other than saying "it only contains citric acid..." which makes me a bit worried that they were looking at the wrong thing (other types of descaler contain this). I did show just the midwife the brand and the ingredients it contains (sulfamic and phosphoric acid) but I'm worried they've just looked up "descaler" ingredients

Absolutely kicking myself as I have been otherwise SO careful

Although there's not much research, I do remember reading a paper about how ingesting diluted kitchen descaler might impact upon babies (eg. If formula milk was made up with traces - the researchers didn't actually give babies descaler though - it was all through calculations!). Please bear in mind that what I'm about to say is based on a research team's calculations and my own extrapolation from that, so shouldn't be taken as expert advice!

Their conclusions were that direct consumption by a baby could cause some irritation of their GI tract (heartburn, vomiting, potentially ulcers) due to the acidity, but that large amounts would be needed to cause any wider issues, so these would be less likely from accidental ingestion from an incompletely rinsed kettle.

My thoughts are that in your situation, it would be your GI tract which the descaler would encounter - and it would then by further diluted and altered by chemicals in your own digestive system before even coming near the placenta. So, if you didn't have severe GI symptoms then it's likely that you haven't ingested enough to cause chemical harm to the placenta or to your baby - in other words, if you're feeling ok as the person who ingested it, then your baby is probably ok too.

I know that 'probably' isn't enough when it's your baby though - keep a close eye on movements and if you notice any changes call the midwives straight away. You could also contact your GP and ask if they would want to do any blood tests to check you're ok.

I hope that helps a bit, and that you and your baby are ok. 💜

This is my worst nightmare. I always leave a sign on the kettle when descaling with danger signs so DH doesn’t poison me accidentally.

I hope you and baby are ok and that you don’t murder your DH too badly.

Info:
acid is used as an acidic cleaning agent, sometimes pure or as a component of proprietary mixtures, typically for metals and ceramics. It is frequently used for removing rust and limescale, replacing the more volatile and irritating hydrochloric acid, which is cheaper. It is often a component of household descaling agents, for example, Lime-A-Way Thick Gel contains up to 8% sulfamic acid and has pH 2.0–2.2,[12] or detergents used for removal of limescale. When compared to most of the common strong mineral acids, sulfamic acid has desirable water descaling properties, low volatility, and low toxicity. It forms water-soluble salts of calcium and ferric iron

@Scirocco

Although there's not much research, I do remember reading a paper about how ingesting diluted kitchen descaler might impact upon babies (eg. If formula milk was made up with traces - the researchers didn't actually give babies descaler though - it was all through calculations!). Please bear in mind that what I'm about to say is based on a research team's calculations and my own extrapolation from that, so shouldn't be taken as expert advice!

Their conclusions were that direct consumption by a baby could cause some irritation of their GI tract (heartburn, vomiting, potentially ulcers) due to the acidity, but that large amounts would be needed to cause any wider issues, so these would be less likely from accidental ingestion from an incompletely rinsed kettle.

My thoughts are that in your situation, it would be your GI tract which the descaler would encounter - and it would then by further diluted and altered by chemicals in your own digestive system before even coming near the placenta. So, if you didn't have severe GI symptoms then it's likely that you haven't ingested enough to cause chemical harm to the placenta or to your baby - in other words, if you're feeling ok as the person who ingested it, then your baby is probably ok too.

I know that 'probably' isn't enough when it's your baby though - keep a close eye on movements and if you notice any changes call the midwives straight away. You could also contact your GP and ask if they would want to do any blood tests to check you're ok.

I hope that helps a bit, and that you and your baby are ok. 💜

Thanks for this. This helps a bit although it's so true that "probably" is never enough when you're worrying about the baby. I suppose the other thing is that the babies in those studies wouldn't have had placentas!

I'd estimate that there was two cap fulls over the rice so I'd probably have had a cap myself. Hopefully the boiling of the kettle neutralised most of it (?) but now I'm in the anxious position of simply not knowing what damage it will have done.

Infuriatingly I used to use simple vinegar up until about a year ago.

I use food grade citric acid to do the kettles now (way faster than vinegar and doesn't smell) but DP has bought descaler before and I checked the packet and it was basically just citric acid too. Citric acid is in loads of food and drink, it's why coke in the toilet for limescale is a thing.

Citric acid + limescale = carbon dioxide and calcium citrate.

Calcium citrate is edible, used as a flavouring and again found in some types of Coke. It's used to supplement calcium if your low.

Pretty sure you're safe from citric acid, no idea what else was in there.

This brand specifically says it contains Sulfamic and Phosphoric Acid

Phosphoric acid is used in coke and other soft drinks.

So sorry this has happened to you and must have been very alarming. As a scientist i agree with the above that it will very unlikely to do harm to your baby, and if anything local soreness in your throat. Our stomachs are acid environments, so very resistant. It will have largely reacted with the limescale, be quite dilute and i expect your dp didn't use all with the rice or drained it. And it is designed to go in a kettle with only two rinses after, so not toxic per se just risk if drunk at a high conc of burning your throat. And once in your body it will be diluted much further.
They medical people would be more concerned if they thought any risk.
All the best with the reminder of your pregnancy and if still worried maybe talk to your GP and they can hopefully further reassure you.

Hi came to ask exact same question for the exact same scenario I had it sitting to one side andnonly just noticed kow that dh made rice and a drink from just emptying it and re filling it? I'm 24weeks pregnant and freaking out that I've just poisoned my baby? How did everything go?

what was the outcome of this? just drank a cup of tea from a kettle that had descaler in it - was only rinsed once 😭- 16 weeks pregnant!

what was the outcome of this? just drank a cup of tea from a kettle that had descaler in it - was only rinsed once 😭- 16 weeks pregnant!