Here Are The Top 5 Toys That Can Land Kids In The ER, According To A Pediatric Doctor
Christmas time means tons of toys — must haves, don’t wants, and perhaps most importantly, dangerous for kids.
There is a Pediatric Doctor on TikTok who is weighing in on the top 5 most dangerous toys for kids, so pay attention.
Dr. Meghan Martin shares her kiddo wisdom with the world of social media, and now she is making us aware of the toys that we might want to avoid this holiday season.
The first thing on her list of toys to avoid are the ones with those little button batteries — even if they are covered by one of those little compartments that are screwed down, giving the illusion of safety.
Tricky kids can get that compartment open, and swallow the batteries — one of the most toxic things a child can ingest.
They keep those little compartments closed with these little cheap screws. It’s not worth it. They can literally kill kids and they do every year,
Dr. Meghan Martin
Next up on her list of toys to avoid are those über popular water beads.
They are all fun and games — a cool sensory toy — until your kids ingest them.
These beads are meant to soak up fluids, so they are going to expand in your child’s digestive system, causing dangerous obstructions.
She says you should definitely avoid water beads, even though they are cool and pretty. They aren’t worth the risk.
These are sold as sensory toys, but little kids can ingest them when they’re small and they can get larger and cause bowel obstructions. Don’t mess with these with little kids. And they can cause problems with pets too.
Dr. Meghan Martin
The third thing that Dr. Martin says you should avoid are electric scooters, as much as kids may beg for them.
They simply aren’t safe for the littles — they are a disaster waiting to happen.
Kids get going way too fast on these. They hit a bump. They go flying. They mess up their faces, their arms, their heads. It’s bad news bears.
Dr. Meghan Martin
Next up, hoverboards. Gosh, these things were so popular a couple years ago.
They look super cool, right? But, sometimes just looking cool is not a good enough reason to go out and buy it.
Sometimes the risk outweighs the benefits when it comes to toys.
You hear all kinds of disaster stories of kids — and adults — falling off these hoverboards and breaking bones, teeth, lamps, furniture…
Just say no. Don’t get the hoverboards.
We see so many hoverboard injuries right after Christmas. They break their forearms and their elbows and sometimes their heads. Also, they can literally light your house on fire.
Dr. Meghan Martin
And, the fifth toy that parents should avoid buying their kids for Christmas?
Drum roll, please…
Giant trampolines.
Story time. When my brother was about 14, he asked for a trampoline for Christmas. We were all so excited.
Until he fell off the giant trampoline, cracking his teeth in half and lodging them inside his lower lip.
Nerves were exposed, blood was everywhere — it was a hot mess, and he spent weeks camped out at the dentist for painful surgeries and teeth replacements.
My parents immediately got rid of the trampoline, and we never looked back. We were all traumatized by what my brother went through.
I detest trampolines. They literally keep the emergency department and the orthopedics team in business. It doesn’t matter if you have a net. It doesn’t matter if it’s buried in the ground. Most of the injuries actually happen on the trampoline. Also, your insurance company may drop you. Homeowner’s insurance also hates trampolines.
Dr. Meghan Martin
There you have it — a professional’s take on toys you should avoid this holiday season.
Even though your kids might beg, stand strong and just say no.
It’s not worth spending Christmas day in the ER with broken bones, painful bumps, and nasty bruises.
