Health warning over popular children’s toy
A Sydney boy has been rushed to hospital after he accidentally swallowed a part of his brand-new fidget spinner.
The boy was taken to the emergency department of the Royal North Shore Hospital after swallowing a circular disc that came off the gadget.
The child’s mother posted a warning on the Facebook group North Shore Mums on Saturday.
“Parents of fidget spinners beware ... our son swallowed the disc of a fidget spinner last night and ended up at RNSH Emergency,” she wrote.
“The side of the spinner was cracked and when he spun it, the disc flew in his mouth and before he realised, he swallowed it.”
“He had it for less than 48 hours. Ours are now in the bin and just want to make you all aware of what can happen with these things.”
“He has to pass it within two days or we’re looking at alternative methods of extraction.”
An X-ray posted on Facebook appears to show the piece lodged in the boy’s stomach.
Fidget spinners are a new craze among children, however, this is not the first time they have been dangerous to their young owners.
Last month, a 10-year-old girl from the US had to have a part of the fidget spinner surgically removed from her oesophagus after accidentally swallowing it.
The toys have been labelled as helpful to children who have autism and ADHD but there are reports Australian schools will soon ban them as they can be distracting to students and teachers.