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Blog: Kids Swallow the Darndest ThingsPosted by: Anthony Green at Oct 29, 2012 12:00 AM CDT Keywords: Education
There’s an old saying that “kids say the darndest things.” But as most parents also know, kids often swallow the darndest things as well. And not always the safest things. For example, a new toy called Water Balz, has become an emerging safety issue for young kids. These brightly colored, one-inch balls look like marbles. But put them in contact with water and they expand to about 400 times their original size. That’s about the size of a racquetball. The problem is that while these toys are great for older children to play with, they can pose a potential danger for younger, curious siblings. If swallowed, Water Balz can expand in a child’s digestive system and cause blockages. The Journal of Pediatrics recently reported a serious incident where a 9 month-old girl ingested her older sister’s toy ball. After displaying symptoms of vomiting and severe pain, the girl required surgery to remove the obstruction. According to the New York Times, Water Balz is one of several small objects that, if swallowed by kids, causes thousands of children to be hospitalized each year. “Kids swallow things all the time,” said Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, a pediatric surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital and an author of the report. “Most of the time, objects that are small enough to get into the stomach will pass through without causing any problem. But this type of material is made to absorb water, and over time it keeps growing and growing and gets to a size where it can’t get through the digestive tract.” While this is a scary scenario, there are things parents can do to help ensure children’s safety. Parents, be extra careful about keeping small objects away from young kids. This includes medications, which can look like candy, button batteries, magnets, parts of toys and other objects that are small enough for children to swallow. Keeping these items out of sight and reach of young children is important to prevent injuries. If you or someone you know has any stories involving Water Balz, please let us know. The more stories we hear from families, the more helpful we can be to try and stop this from happening to other kids. Please contact Anthony Green at agreen@safekids.org with your stories or for more information. More About Home Safety |
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