As kids prepare to go back to school in a few short weeks, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to parents about a popular toy that could pose a potential risk to their kids and homes.
Fidget spinners are supposed to be a calming and fun way to get students to focus better while completing tasks, but this seemly harmless toy can actually be very dangerous.
There have been some dangerous incidents surrounding the popular gadget that has the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issuing a warning.
Continue to the next page to find out what it is.
While the popular toy may seem simple, it actually has enough small parts to pose a risk to young children.
Parents have been warned to not let children younger than 3 years old play with the popular toy because it poses a risk to their health.
Fidget spinners contain small pieces such as batteries and ball bearings which can be a serious choking hazard among children. Choking incidents have been reported in children as old as 14.
In May, a 10-year-old girl choked on part of her fidget spinner, which caused her to have the piece surgically removed.
"Keep them from small children; the plastic and metal spinners can break and release small pieces that can be a choking hazard; and older children should not put fidget spinners in their mouths," says CPSC acting chief Ann Marie Beurkle.
Kelly Rose Joniec shared her experience with a warning to parents on Facebook after her daughter Britton, in a split second, swallowed the piece and blocked her airway. With quick reaction Kelly, who was driving at the time, she was whisked away to a hospital where doctors were able to remove the piece.
Parents are advised to ensure that children don't put these toys near their faces or in their mouths.
"Think about how kids chew on pencils," Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a Seattle pediatrician says. "These spinners potentially capture attention of kids of all ages, and all ages may fiddle, fidget, put them in their mouth... An adult could do this just as easily as a child."
It's not just the small pieces that have the safety commission concerned.
"There have been some reports of fires involving battery-operated fidget spinners," Buerkle said.
In June, a Bluetooth-enabled fidget spinner that played music reportedly burst into flames after being left to charge for 45 minutes in a family home in Alabama. Fortunately the fire was caught by the family and only left a burn in the carpet.
In May, another battery-operated fidget spinner caught fire after being charged for less than half an hour. The family did not have the original charger and used one from another device.
For these battery operated toys, the CPSC advises that consumers unplug the toy overnight and only use the cable that comes with the spinner to charge it.
Now that the kids are prepared to head back to their classrooms, they may be faced with new polices surrounding fidget spinners. Check with your local school to see if there are any changes regarding this toy that affects your family.
