My child got into the baking soda: Risks and treatment
The bottom line
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Both sodium and bicarbonate can cause serious toxicity if too much is taken. When swallowed, sodium bicarbonate rapidly makes a large volume of carbon dioxide, which can cause dangerous levels of pressure in the stomach.
Prevention Tips
Keep baking soda out of reach of children. If it is being used to absorb odors in a refrigerator, put the container as far back in the refrigerator as possible.
Cooking with children is fun! Monitor their baking activities when using baking soda.
Don’t use baking soda as a homemade antacid.
Always keep baking soda in its original container.
This Really Happened
A 54-year-old woman experienced indigestion after a large meal, so she drank “half a glass” of sodium bicarbonate. Immediately afterward, she had stabbing pain in her stomach and a feeling that something exploded inside of her. She vomited several times and had an episode of diarrhea. She went to an emergency room, where her diagnosis was made difficult because of air in her abdominal cavity. Ultimately, she was found to have a 5 cm (2 inch) tear in her stomach. Her stomach had to be surgically removed, and her esophagus was connected to her small intestine. She was able to go home after 5 days in the hospital (from Vásquez et al., 2017).
What is baking soda?
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. It is used as a leavening agent and can be found in many kitchens. Leavening agents cause dough to rise, just like yeast, by creating bubbles of carbon dioxide. However, unlike yeast, baking soda works through a chemical reaction to generate the gas. Baking soda is also used in kitchens to absorb odors in refrigerators.
In medicine, sodium bicarbonate has been used as an antacid when swallowed and as an alkalinizer when given intravenously. When evaluating the toxicity of baking soda, there are 3 mechanisms to consider: the well-known dangers of sodium, the bicarbonate that affects the pH (acid level) of body fluids, and the generation of carbon dioxide.
Is too much baking soda toxic?
Using too much baking soda as a homemade antacid can cause rapid formation of gas in the stomach. You should not use baking soda to treat stomach upsets without specific direction from your healthcare provider. Stomach ruptures can occur with baking soda use after alcohol binging or a large meal.
Is baking soda an effective and safe antacid?
Baking soda will temporarily reduce stomach acid, but it is better to use over-the-counter antacid products such as calcium carbonate (like Tums), which work in a similar way but are much safer. If your doctor has recommended sodium bicarbonate tablets, use them only as directed.
What are the symptoms of ingesting too much baking soda?
Early after the ingestion of too much baking soda, vomiting and diarrhea are common as the body tries to correct the high sodium concentration by pulling more water into the digestive tract. After absorption, high sodium concentrations can cause seizures, dehydration, and kidney failure. When the pH gets too high (alkaline), breathing becomes depressed as the body tries to restore its proper acidity by retaining carbon dioxide.
Baking soda is said to have a bad taste, which might keep most children from eating too much. However, because of the potential risks involved, it is important to take baking soda ingestions seriously.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
When used as a leavening agent, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) must be mixed with something acidic like yogurt or lemon juice to make the bubbles formed by carbon dioxide. Baking powder is also sodium bicarbonate, but small amounts of dry acidic material like cream of tartar have been added to provide the necessary acidity. All it needs is moisture to begin forming bubbles.
My child got into the baking soda. What should I do?
If someone has swallowed baking soda, use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
