The toys you should NEVER give children this Christmas because of the risk of choking, injury or burglary, emergency doctors say

Pediatricians are warning parents this holiday season about gifts for children that could cause choking, burns and intestinal damage.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), toy-related injuries accounted for more than 145,000 emergency room visits among children 12 and younger in 2022.

And the holidays can be the highlight. Dr. Michael Flaherty, a pediatrician in the intensive care unit at Mass General for Children Hospital in Boston, told DailyMail.com there was a “huge increase” in these incidents during the holidays.

“I would say that December and January are probably the two highest months of toy injuries in the United States,” he said.

For example, battery-powered devices such as racing cars and dolls can cause burns to the throat and stomach lining if the coin-shaped batteries are swallowed.

Gun toys such as Nerf guns can hit children in the eyes, causing pain, blindness and even loss of vision.

And Dr. Flaherty called water beads the most dangerous toy for children this Christmas because they can grow up to 400 times their size and cause choking hazards and intestinal blockages.

Here are the toys pediatricians are warning parents to avoid this holiday season.

Water beads

Water beads are marketed as children’s toys or therapeutic aids for children with sensory processing disorders or autism spectrum disorders

Water beads are typically used for sensory play and fine motor development in children with developmental delays, such as autism spectrum disorder.

They are also used as liquid absorbents in baby diapers, incontinence clothing and sanitary napkins.

When wet, they can expand up to 400 times their size. Dr. Flaherty said if swallowed, it can be difficult to remove.

“We see a lot of injuries related to these water beads,” he said. “If a child receives such a pellet, swallows it and it enters the respiratory tract, it begins to expand as soon as it gets wet or moistened with saliva.”

“It could be a really big risk.”

If they get stuck in the airways, there is a risk of suffocation. Even if they reach further, they can lead to blockages.

Dr. Flaherty said children under three are especially likely to swallow them because they are small, colorful and almost look like candy.

In March, the CPSC and toy company Buffalo Games recalled more than 50,000 Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits sold at Target after one baby was injured and another died.

The injured child, Kennedy Mitchell of Maine, was hospitalized after swallowing one of the beads. She developed an intestinal obstruction, which can be fatal because it cuts off the blood supply to part of the intestine.

The 10-month-old baby suffered septic shock and had to be put on a ventilator. She eventually recovered.

Gun toys

Nerf gun pellets can damage the retina, a layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball, which can cause blindness or blurred vision

Nerf guns have been a holiday favorite since their introduction in the 1980s.

Although the foam bullets may look harmless, they shoot so fast that the impact can damage the eyes and other parts of the body.

In 2018, a nine-year-old boy in Wales lost an eye after a friend shot him with a Nerf gun. Six years earlier, he had been blinded in that eye when he was hit by a toy dart.

The pellets have also been shown to damage the retina, a layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball, which can cause blindness or impaired vision.

“Nerf guns and rocket launchers and anything that could be a projectile that could damage or injure someone’s eye or potentially cause damage at high speed, I usually try to advise parents to avoid those,” said Dr. Flaherty.

Toys with button batteries or magnets

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia estimates that button batteries are swallowed more than 3,500 times a year

Many toys are powered by batteries.

Racing cars, baby dolls and even some yo-yos contain button batteries. Because they are about the size of a coin, they are also called coin cell batteries.

Button batteries are made with lithium-ion. When swallowed, saliva produces an electrical current that leads to chemical reactions.

This can cause severe burns to the esophagus, which connects the throat to the stomach. These burns can perforate the esophagus, paralyze the vocal cords, and damage blood vessels.

“They can really do terrible damage to the esophagus and stomach,” said Dr. Flaherty.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia estimates that button batteries are swallowed more than 3,500 times a year. According to the CPSC, 70 children have died from these injuries.

Dr. Flaherty also warned about toys with magnets, many of which are sold as sets, which could cause children to swallow more than one. “These magnets are so strong that pieces of intestine can actually stick together and cause holes or holes in the intestine.”

“These could be surgical emergencies.”

Tablets with WiFi

Dr. Flaherty recommended avoiding Wi-Fi-enabled devices, as they can steal children’s privacy

Tablets have become a popular gift for children to play games and watch sensory videos.

However, they are also vulnerable to cyber attacks and hacker attacks.

A 2021 report by researchers at internet browser Mozilla found that Amazon’s Echo speakers and tablets stole data from children and only deleted information when parents specifically asked for it.

“And when it comes to children, it’s probably better to err on the side of caution when it comes to privacy,” the researchers write.

“Books, art kits, and science kits still make great gifts for kids, and they’re much more likely to protect your kids’ privacy, too.”

“Anything that has access to a network, internet or Wi-Fi can collect data about our kids or even allow people who aren’t supposed to be using the toy to step in and talk to our kids or do things that are inappropriate is not.” Dr. Flaherty.