In case you’ve managed to avoid reading anything on the internet the past few weeks, fidget spinners — small gadgets you spin with your fingers — have practically taken over the world for kids. But aside from their inevitable daily distractions during school, at least one incident suggests these toys may not be so appropriate for children. In fact, they could be life-threatening.
Kelly Rose Joniec, from Houston, Texas, described her 10-year-old daughter Britton’s ordeal with a fidget spinner in a Facebook post, reports Today. Joniec heard her daughter evoke “an odd retching noise,” and turned to see “her face turning red and drool pouring from her mouth,” according to the Facebook post.
“She pointed to her throat saying she’d swallowed something, so I attempted Heimlich but there was no resistance,” the post continued. “She said she’d put part of her fidget spinner in her mouth to clean it and somehow swallowed it.” Joniec headed for an urgent care, and then was taken by an ambulance to Texas Children’s Hospital.
The case apparently “fascinated” the gastroenterologist at the hospital, who coincidentally had just become familiar with fidget spinners that day with his son at the mall. Eventually, the fidget spinner piece was taken out endoscopically.
Despite dangers and a ban by some schools, fidget spinners have been a tool at times for teachers, therapists and guidance counselors.
“For some people (with ADHD), there’s a need for constant stimulation,” Elaine Taylor-Klaus, co-founder of ADHD coaching service ImpactADHD, told CNN. “What a fidget allows some people — not all people — with ADHD to do is to focus their attention on what they want to focus on, because there’s sort of a background motion that’s occupying that need.”
Still, the takeaway from this specific incident is clear.
“Anything with small parts, keep it away from young children. If it can fit through a toilet paper roll, don’t give it to a young child, and make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions,” US Consumer Product Safety Commission spokeswoman Patty Davis told CNN.
And Joniec had a warning of her own.
“Kids of all ages may be getting them, but not all spinners come with age-appropriate warnings,” she also wrote. “The bushings pop out easily, so if you have young kids (under 8 yrs. old) keep in mind that these present a potential choking hazard.”
6 Dangerous Games Your Kids Should Avoid
10 Ways to Raise a Giving Child
More from U.S. News
The 11 Most Dangerous Places in Your Home for Babies and Small Kids
6 Dangerous Games Your Kids Should Avoid
10 Ways to Raise a Giving Child
A 10-Year-Old Girl in Texas Choked On a Fidget Spinner originally appeared on usnews.com
