Emergency doctors in the UK issued a warning on Monday about plastic beads, known as hydrogel beads or water beads. Experts advise against giving them to children under the age of five at Christmas. Why can colored balls be dangerous?
The soft plastic beads, known as hydrogel beads, water beads, or sensitive beads, are usually only a few millimeters in size, but can expand dramatically—up to 400 times—within 36 hours of exposure to liquid. Swallowing a ball can cause a bowel obstruction and be fatal – experts at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), the UK's emergency medicine trade union, are warning ahead of Christmas.
Toys not for small children
Moreover, the balls, which are used not only as toys, but also as home decorations, cannot be seen on X-ray. Therefore, the RCEM recommends that toys of this type be kept away from children under the age of five and advises parents and guardians to seek professional help immediately if they suspect that a child has swallowed such a ball.
“Seeing the devastating and harmful effects, we ask people to think twice about the risks involved in choosing and giving gifts during this period,” said Dr. Salwa Malik, Vice President of RCEM, to PA Media.
The specialist also focused on small button batteries and magnets. “As an emergency physician, I've seen parents hold their hands in the emergency room while their children lay in bed and need immediate care because they swallowed one of these items,” he said.
SEE ALSO: What if a child suffocates? “With these simple actions we can save someone's life”
Suffocation – first aid
What to do if you witness breathing? As the National Health Service writes on its website, “early intervention can prevent loss of consciousness. Principles of first aid, GIS emphasizes that respiratory support can save life and “is one of those life-threatening conditions that every can be encountered. day”.
When the victim has stopped coughing but is conscious, you should: 1. Bend the victim forward. 2. Tap the area between the shoulders five times.
When it does not help, use the so-called Heimlich Maneuver (not to be used in pregnant women): 1. Bend the injured person. 2. Put a part of the upper abdomen (under the breastbone) and cover it with your hands. 3. Make a fist with the other hand. 4. Pull strongly inward and upward.
If the above actions do not help, you should immediately call an ambulance by dialing 999 or 112. “If the victim is unconscious, start resuscitation!” – GIS explains.
How to help a child when breathing? Lifeguards remind about the most important rules Katarzyna Górniak/Fakty TVN
SEE ALSO: A five-year-old boy saved his father's life. “He reacted immediately”
Main image source: Shutterstock
