15/11/2025
Are your child's Christmas gifts dangerous?
Mums and dads, you are probably already starting to think about, or pick up, Christmas presents and stocking fillers for your child, so this is your friendly reminder to think about potential choking and other hazards that may be present in your child's presents!
🎁 Button batteries - these little silver disc batteries are found in lots of toys and other gadgets around your house and are highly toxic. If swallowed, they can corrode your child's throat or stomach.
🎁 Lego and other small building bricks - these are not only painful to step on, but some pieces are small enough for a baby or child to swallow, and sharp edges make them easy to get stuck in a child's windpipe.
🎁 Magnet toys - these popular toys are small and easy to swallow. They can travel to the stomach and gather together, tearing internal tissue.
🎁 Balloons - balloons and other latex items are a choking hazard if swallowed or inhaled, which can happen easily if your child is blowing a balloon or playing with burst leftover material.
🎁 Buttons & detachable parts - toys or dolls with small parts like button eyes and wheels can be dangerous as items like this can fall off or be pulled off and swallowed.
🎁 Marbles - in the same way that grapes and round foods are a hazard, so are marbles that can easily lodge in your child's airway.
This list is by no means exhaustive. We don't want to be the toy/fun police, but please take a few minutes when choosing toys or gifts for your child to think about potential risks and don't leave your child to play with a new toy on their own - check it out yourself before you hand it to your child to play with.
