The number of children who ingest laundry detergent packets in Alabama is on the rise, says one of the state's top poison control officials.

The Regional Poison Control Center located at Children's of Alabama has received 714 calls since 2012, an average of 15-20 calls per month, related to the digestion of the colorful detergent packets, Ann Slattery, toxicologist and managing director of the poison control center, said.

Of those calls, 495 had symptoms and 99 percent of those received care at the hospital.

Here's how the number of calls breaks down over the last five years: As of May 15, poison control has received 83 calls related to detergent exposure. In 2015, the center received 250 calls; in 2014, 220 calls; in 2013, 136 calls; and in 2012, only one call.

The vast majority of children under the age of 6 who have ingested laundry detergent and have symptoms are referred to the emergency room, Slattery said.

The first symptoms of detergent ingestion are nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms could include burns to the eyes, wheezing, gasping for breath, drowsiness and increased heartrate.

Slattery said the major message for parents is to keep the detergent packets "out of sight and out of reach."

Laundry packets should be kept on a high shelf even when someone is in the process of doing laundry, she said. Most children who ingest detergent packets do so when a parent or guardian lays one out to do a load of laundry.

Slattery suggested parents of children under the age of 2 use bulk laundry detergent instead.

Laundry detergent packets "are attractive," she said. "They are colorful. They look like candy, and children are attracted to them."

It literally takes seconds for a child to get a hold of a packet and put them in their mouths, Slattery said.

The packets are easily for children to bite into, which means they get a large concentration of the detergent all at once. "So that is one of the dangers," she said.

The packets dissolve when wet so children can easily get the detergent on their hands even if they don't bite into them, Slattery said.

Slattery said 77 percent of the calls to poison control originate from the home. About 90 percent of children under the age of 6 are able to stay at home and be treated. Poison control does follow ups with their parents, she said.

The majority of calls to poison control occur in the summer when children are out of school, she said. The calls usually involved the ingestion of berries and mushrooms from the yard and dog feces.

From April to November, 70 percent of the calls to poison control are related to snake bites or wasp and bee stings, Slattery said.