Every child this summer wants the hottest toy trending now–fidget spinners. However, consumer and health advisers warn against children being given them for a variety of reasons, chiefly their lack of safety. Many children have experienced pain, hurt, shock and dismay at the most talked-about toy being a cause for so much concern.

Read More: 11 Most Popular Summer Toys

Here, learn about the many dangers that fidget spinners put kids through–truly an eye-opener for parents:

11 Dangers of Fidget Spinners

1. Kids choke on the toy

Innocent children wanting to have a good time with their fidget spinners have been in for a shock when their toy broke apart and caused them to choke on the toy. They were forced to be taken to the emergency room. Typically, a fidget spinner has three bearings or circles, each the size of a quarter that spin when the child grasps the center.

Here, the circles came out of place and the children swallowed them. This is because a variety of manufacturers make this toy, but all of them do not integrate it with a choking hazard or a warning appropriate to kids’ age.

2.  Kids can swallow their fidget spinners

Fidget spinners are small enough to be in the palms of kids, so it’s inevitable for little kids to swallow them and choke on them. They are also known to choke on a part of the toy, as a five-year-old in Oregon did.

3. Fidget spinners are cheaply made

There are several kinds of fidget spinners in the market today, with the cheaper ones breaking up very quickly and disintegrating into tiny pieces. The parents of a little girl in Texas were shocked to find her X-ray showing a spinner in her esophagus, which had to be removed surgically.

However, surgery can be more serious if the spinner’s metal or battery enters the lung, causing severe risks and complications to the little one’s life. It can also be life-threatening if the lead content of the toy leads to difficulty in the child’s breathing and stops him from breathing.

4. Overuse of the toy can cause its breakage

If children are so enamored by this toy, they will naturally not let go of it for very long, causing its overuse. This, in turn, leads to the toy breaking into tiny pieces, again a fault of using cheap quality materials. In the light of this, parents are advised to keep checking the toy to see if it’s intact or slightly broken. If parents find broken pieces, they should throw it away.

5. Kids can swallow the battery

Leaving this toy in the hands of innocent kids could mean their swallowing the battery–all because they are enamoured by the toy’s ability to light up. If this happens, the battery can go to the lung and cause the child untold harm.

6. One kid playing with it can injure others

No matter how innocent a move your kid playing with his fidget spinner can be, if it accidentally injures another child or pet near him, it could cause a lot of pain to the child and pet, and anxiety to his parents. So, an unsafe toy like this should be avoided from bringing home.

7. Spinning the toy on his nose or tongue can be dangerous

The idea of having a spinner is to let it spin on any surface, even your body parts. But that’s dangerous to little kids, hence should be avoided.

8. They do not manage ADHD, autism or anxiety symptoms

There is no scientific evidence to the effect that fidget spinners help special children focus better. So, it’s difficult to conclude that this toy is, in fact, useful to special children.

9. Fidgets contain high mercury and lead levels

Fidget spinners have been tested and found that they contain dangerously high levels of lead and some mercury too. This is in excess, particularly when put into a kid’s toy. Lead and mercury contamination can be disastrous to a child’s health, and therefore should be kept away from kids.

10. If spun on a girl’s head, she could lose her hair

And this is what precisely happened when a high school boy spun his fidget on a classmate’s head, entangling her hair in the toy and giving her pain and shock. Ultimately, she had to have her hair cut so that the toy could be removed and she could be at peace.

11. Fidget spinners made of plastic can make kids sick

Putting cheaply made products in a child’s mouth can only make him sick, and so it is with fidget spinners too. So, keep your kid away from fidget spinners.

Read More: 36 Summer Boredom Busters For Kids

Conclusion

If your child must play with a fidget spinner, ensure that he does not put it in his mouth. Also, make sure he is always supervised when he plays with it.