The 5 most dangerous (and sometimes deadly) children’s toys.

Just because it’s a toy that looks innocent doesn’t mean it really is. Doctor Meghan Martin, an American emergency doctor, knows this well. In a video on TikTok, broadcast during the last year-end holidays, she explained which were the 5 games or toys that most often sent children to the emergency room.

1 – Toys with button batteries

Button batteries – or dead batteries – are found in many toys. Consisting of lithium, they can, if ingested, cause sometimes irreversible damageand it can also be mortal. Yet, despite their danger, button batteries are present in many electronic toys and even musical books. Often hidden in small compartments closed with screws (sometimes of poor quality), they should be banned from the environment of the little ones.

2 – Small pearls of water

Many creative games for children offer water pearls, these small pearls sold with the guarantee of “sensory experience for children”. Except these little things, if ingested, can absorb up to 400 times their weight in water and cause, among other things, intestinal obstructions. This applies to children, but also to pets.

3 – Electric scooters

Scooters, if used correctly with a helmet and a minimum of protection, can be an excellent means of transport for children, for example for going around the park. But even though it’s beautiful, it’s still a little dangerous, a bit like riding a bicycle. We may fall, but it’s the work that comes into play. On the other hand, electric scooters represent another level of danger and should be banned for toddlers:

“ The guys are going too fast with this thing. They hit a bump, slip, injure their face, arms and head“.

Meghan Martin, American emergency physician

4 – Hoverboard

Electric skateboards are a new trend in recent years. But they remain objects that are far too unstable for the little ones. Falls, broken bones, skids and loss of control of the object: hoverboards really shouldn’t be offered to young people.

5 – Trampolines

Trampolines are doctors’ nuisance. Even if surrounded by a net, even if welded to the ground, they are at the top of the list of the most dangerous games for children. According to a French study carried out between 2008 and 2016, Trampoline accidents have increased tenfold in eight years.

Meghan Martin reminds us:

I hate trampolines. They keep the emergency room and the orthopedic team functioning. It doesn’t matter if you have a net, it doesn’t matter if it’s buried in the ground, most injuries happen on the trampoline.