These three popular items are sending kids to the emergency room, experts warn

Experts have revealed the common things that send kids to the emergency room, and they’re more common than you think.

Research to be released this weekend at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference detailed how scalding curling irons, small desk magnets and fast electric scooters pose risks to children, according to NBC News.

These are just a few in a long list of items that pose a safety hazard, including, but not limited to, small toys, coins or batteries that could be accidentally swallowed, or unsecured furniture that could tip over.

“Unfortunately, there are some products that themselves pose a danger to a child,” pediatric emergency medicine doctor Dr. Leah Middelberg told NBC News.

Middelberg, who practices at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, focuses specifically on the dangers of desk magnets (small spheres that relieve stress and serve as fidget toys) in her research, which children can stick on their noses. , ears or mouth.

“They come in dozens to hundreds in these small clusters, where a couple can easily break free and get caught in the carpet and a child can pick them up,” said Middelberg, whose research was based on data from 2017 to 2019 collected by 25 hospitals. throughout the nation.

Experts warn parents that some items regularly put children in the hospital, and are more common than you might think. Illustration from the NY Post Doctors urged parents not to let their children ride high-speed electric scooters. Siniehina – stock. adobe.com

Middelberg, who found nearly 600 cases of magnet-related accidents, noted a “huge increase” in similar incidents and calls to poison control centers over the past six years.

See also  Florida mother kills 2 children and herself in apparent murder-suicide after losing custody battle

Swallowing more than one could cause the magnets to attract and pinch tissue internally, causing bleeding or blockages that pose health risks.

Magnets are a known risk for young children, who accidentally swallow them while playing or, in some cases, fake tongue piercings for an Internet challenge.

Middelberg hopes that new rules on magnet safety will reduce the number of accidents among children.

Last September, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted to approve a new standard for magnets that “requires loose or separable magnets in certain magnetic products to be too large to be swallowed or weak enough to be swallowed.” to reduce the risk of internal injuries when swallowed.”

Curling irons, a common household tool, pose a burn risk to young people because they can reach temperatures of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hot hair styling tools can reach scorching temperatures and pose a burn risk to little ones. OLGA RA – stock.adobe.com

“Developmentally, children under 10 will be curious and reach for things. They don’t necessarily have the learned ability to say, ‘Hey, that could be dangerous.’ That’s great,’” researcher Dr. Brandon Rozanki, a pediatrics resident at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, told NBC News.

Using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, Rozanki discovered 31,000 burn injuries related to hair tools in people under the age of 24 between the years 2013 and 2022, many of which occurred in age groups of 10 or younger.

While most did not require medical attention, she advised parents to keep hot styling tools out of children’s reach until they are teenagers.

See also  From advice to success: a waitress's life-changing journey after winning $10 million in the lottery

Then there are electric scooters, which pose a greater risk for teenagers between 16 and 18 years old.

Research by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia using data from U.S. emergency departments showed 13,500 injuries related to electric scooters between 2020 and 2021, a 71% increase.

The most common injuries were to the head, and 67% of patients were not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

Electric scooters are widespread in metropolitan geographies such as New York City, which saw an increase in injuries from scooters and mopeds in the city’s emergency rooms in 2020.

Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. J. Todd Lawrence, who practices at the children’s hospital, said it’s common to see children in the emergency room for similar accidents, although he mostly sees “small bumps and bruises.”

Desk magnets, intended for fidgety adults, pose a choking hazard or getting caught in the ears or nose. Brandon Seidel – stock.adobe.com

Researchers in Philadelphia encouraged the creation of more bike and scooter lanes to prevent accidents, as well as educate cyclists about road safety.

But parents should not buy high-speed scooters for their children, Lawrence warned.

“If your 15-year-old teenager is going to ride it, you don’t need one that goes 55 miles per hour,” he advised.

Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn

Leave a Comment