Texas Mom Warns Parents About Fidget Spinners

First Posted: May 19, 2017 05:20 AM EDT
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Fidget spinners are the latest in toy trends. Not only are children playing with them but also everyone who likes to fidget, from teens to adults who cannot seem to stop doing anything with their hands, find comfort in these things.

USA Today described the latest "it" toy to be small, with two or three prongs with circles. In the middle is a circular pad where kids can hold the device with a finger and a thumb. Kids spin them to keep themselves occupied.

Unfortunately, fidget spinners are not always safe, especially for kids in elementary school. A Texas mom learned it the hard way when her daughter swallowed a part of the toy and had to get surgery to retrieve it. Kelly Rose Joniec posted on her Facebook page a warning to parents regarding the popular toy.

Joniec stated that her 10-year-old daughter, Britton, started choking in the backseat of their car when she swallowed one of the bearings from the fidget spinner. Despite using a Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a piece of metal, she was unsuccessful in her feat and had to drive Britton to the nearest urgent care center.

Doctors, however, were not able to tell where the object was stuck. According to CNN, they had to ride in an ambulance to the Texas Children's Hospital to find the round metal bearing stuck in the 10-year-old's esophagus, where doctors were able to locate and remove the object.

As a precaution to other parents, Joneic said, "The bushings pop out easily, so if you have young kids (under 8 yr old) keep in mind that these present a potential choking hazard."

Many of today's toys come with choking hazard warnings. The American Academy of Pediatrics state that choking is a leading cause of injury and death among children 3 years old or younger.

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