SO BRIDGES STANDING BY NOW TO ASK A DOC. ♪
>> BRIDGETT: THAT’S RIGHT.
JULIE WATER BEADS ARE SO
POPULAR RIGHT NOW. AND IF YOU
DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE,
THEY’RE ALSO CALLED SINCE RE
BEADS. THEY’RE BASICALLY THE
POLYMER BEADS MAY BE USED TO
SEE THEM IN FLOWER
ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE IN CENTER
PIECES, BUT THEY GROW IN SIZE
AFTER THEY’VE BEEN SOAKED IN
WATER AND LOTS OF CHILDREN
ENJOY THEM. THEY’RE GREAT.
SENSORY TOYS, ESPECIALLY
CHILDREN ON THE SPECTRUM OR
WITH ANXIETY. THEY HAVE BEEN
HELPFUL AND MAKE LEARNING FUN.
THEY CAN ALSO BE DANGEROUS
AGAIN. SO THAT’S WHY WE HAVE
DOCTOR JENNA WHEELER HERE
TODAY. A CAR PEDIATRIC
CRITICAL CARE PHYSICIAN AT
ARNOLD PALMER HOSPITAL FOR
CHILDREN. THANKS FOR JOINING
US, DOCTOR. THANKS FOR HAVING
ME. WELL, THESE TOYS ARE SO
POPULAR RIGHT NOW. THERE’S A
PARTICULAR BRAND, BUT YOU CAN
GET PLENTY OF THEM AND THEY
COME. I MEAN, YOU CAN GET THE
THE KIDS FOOT TUB LIKE A
PEDICURE TUBS FILLED WITH
THESE BEADS. YOU CAN GET SORT
OF LIKE THE BOWLS THAT ARE
FILLED WITH DIFFERENT COLORS.
>> JULIE: THEY’RE GREAT TOY.
WE’RE NOT KNOCKING THEM,
RIGHT, CORRECT? THEY REALLY
ARE. AND I THINK THAT THE
IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS
THEY REALLY ARE GREAT TOY. AND
AS YOU SAID, FOR SOME KIDS,
THE SENSORY FEELING, THOSE
THINGS ARE VERY HELPFUL.
>> JULIE: THE IMPORTANT PART,
REMEMBER THOSE IT NEEDS TO BE
AGE APPROPRIATE BECAUSE OF THE
SMALL SIZE AND BECAUSE OF THE
SHAPE OF THEM, THEY CAN BE
EASILY PUT IN THE MOUTH,
MAKING THE EITHER SWALLOWED
AND GET INTO THE STOMACH
WHERE, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU
PUT HIM IN WATER, THEY REALLY
EXPANDING CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
PROBLEMS OR THEY CAN GO INTO
THE LONG THINK YOU CAN CHOKE
ON THEM. THEY CAN ASK FOR A
THEY CAN HAVE BREATHING
DIFFICULTY. AND SO IT’S JUST
REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY
IF YOU HAVE A HOUSEHOLD WITH
OLDER KIDS AND YOUNGER KIDS TO
REALLY BE AWARE OF WHAT TOYS
ALL THE KIDS ARE HAVE
AVAILABLE TO THEM. YES. AND
THEN THE ADULT SUPERVISION
COMES INTO PLAY AS WELL. WOULD
LIKE TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO
PLAY WITH SO WE CAN HAVE A
BREAK. BUT YOU DO NEED TO KEEP
AN EYE ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS
ONE. JUST REMEMBER TO THEY
ROLL AWAY. IT’S LIKE HAVING A
A PUZZLE ON YOUR KITCHEN
COUNTER. SOME OF THE PIECES
ARE GOING TO GET ONTO THE
FLOOR. IT’S THE SAME CONCEPT.
THESE ARE TINY LITTLE TOYS.
THEY ROLL AWAY. YOU KNOW, KIDS
ARE PLAYING WITH THEIR HANDS.
THEY CAN STICK ON YOUR HAND
AND MAY END UP ON THE FLOOR
AND SO JUST SOMETHING TO DO,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A BABY
THAT’S CRAWLING AND SUCH AFTER
THE PLAN, THAT AREA REALLY
CHECK THE CARPETING. CHECK THE
FLOOR. MAKE SURE THESE TOYS
ARE IN AN AREA THAT YOU DON’T
THINK THEY SHOULD LONG. IS
THIS ALSO SOMETHING TO KEEP IN
MIND? WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
CHILDREN BUT PETS AS WELL
COULD BE AT RISK SINCE IT
COULD BE ADJUSTED BECAUSE IT
SWELLS ONCE IT GETS INTO THE
BODY IS THAT’S A REALLY GOOD
POINT TO MAKE. YOU KNOW, TALK
ABOUT PETS AS MUCH, BUT
THEY’RE THEY’RE COLORFUL
LITTLE TOYS THAT CAN LOOK LIKE
CANDY. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
DEPENDING IF YOUR IF YOUR KIDS
ARE EATING LUNCH AND PLAYING
WITH THEM, THERE MIGHT BE A
LITTLE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY
LEFTOVER ON ONE OF THEM THAT
THE DOG MAY COME ALONG AND
THINK, YOU KNOW, TASTE GOOD
AND SO JUST SOMETHING WHEN
YOU’RE PLAYING WITH THOSE TOYS
IN PARTICULAR, AGAIN, A GREAT
TOY AT TIMES, BUT SOMETHING
THAT NEEDS TO BE WATCHED
CLOSELY. AWESOME. AND ARE
THERE ANY OTHER TYPES OF TOYS
LIKE THIS THAT WE REALLY MIGHT
NOT NO ARE AS HARMFUL AS THEY
COULD BE. IT’S REALLY JUST
KIND OF KNOWING AGE
APPROPRIATE. WE TALK ABOUT A
CHILD’S AIRWAY IS ABOUT THE
SIZE OF YOUR PINKY FINGER.
YOU’RE LOOKING AT KIND OF A
SMALL AREA. SO THINKING ABOUT
THINGS LIKE TIRES ON LITTLE
CARS, JUST, YOU KNOW, EVEN
PENCIL ERASERS, JUST THINGS HE
WOULD ALWAYS THINK OF. IT
COULD BECOME DANGEROUS IF THEY
EITHER BREAK OFF OR IN THE
WRONG HANDS. YEAH. AND YOU
SAID THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT.
WE SEE QUITE A BIT OF IT. I’M
JUST, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN TOYS
AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IT IT
ACCOUNTS FOR IN PEDIATRICS, A
LOT OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS,
LOT OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS.
NO KIND OF THE SIGNS TO LOOK
FOR ARE, YOU KNOW, KIDS HAVING
A BIG COUGHING EPISODE THAT
YOU MAY NOT SEE WHAT MADE THEM
COFFEE GOES AWAY. BUT YOU
NOTICE OVER THE NEXT BIT OF
TIME, THEY CONTINUE TO KIND OF
COUGH FOR HIM. THEY MAY BE
DROOLING MORE THAN USUAL.
THEY’RE ALL OF A SUDDEN
COMPLAINING OF STOMACH ACHES,
NOT WANTING TO EAT. THOSE ARE
ALL THINGS FOR PARENTS TO KIND
OF I WONDER IF THEY COULD HAVE
GOTTEN INTO SOMETHING. YES,
AND THAT WE DO WANT TO SCARE
PEOPLE. BUT THIS CAN LEAD TO
SURGERY. THIS CAN LEAD TO, YOU
KNOW, MORE THAN JUST WAITING
FOR TO RUN THROUGH BECAUSE IT
COULD BE STUCK. SURE IF THE
CHILD’S PASSAGEWAYS ARE STILL
REALLY, REALLY SMALL. WE TALK
ABOUT BABIES UNDER YEAR-OLD,
RIGHT? AND THAT’S A GOOD
POINT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU THINK
IT’S ONE OF THESE WATER BEADS,
THEY EXPAND TO SUCH A GREAT
SIZE COMPARED TO THEIR INITIAL
STARTING SIZE THAT YOU REALLY
DO NEED TO SEEK EMERGENCY HELP