Emergency doctor has alarming warning for parents over common swimming items this summer
An emergency doctor has issued an urgent warning to parents regarding the dangers of popular kids pool toys.
Dr Meghan Martin, who works at at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, is a pediatric emergency medicine physician and a mum of four.
As the British summer continues, she's shared the water toys she would not let her kids play with - and chances are you have them in your own home.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, the doctor didn't hold back when it came to explaining the risks of the extremely popular items.
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Reusable magnetic water balloons
First up, Martin has warned against reusable magnetic water balloons.
She said: "The magnets hold the balloons together and they're kind of a cool idea. But those magnets, unfortunately, can kind of pop out and if kiddos swallow magnets, they can actually cause a lot of really bad bowel problems, and they can get really sick.
"So anything with small magnets, we don't like around small kiddos."
Martin then went on to explain that she'd dealt with a case last year where a child put two magnets in her nose.
She continued: "They kind of squeezed the septum in the middle - so, they can also cause other types of injuries as well.
"The reusable water balloons without magnets are great. But the ones that have magnets in them, those can be dangerous."
Neck floats
Neck floats are great in theory, as they aim to keep a child's head above water, but some may have a more sinister side.
Martin said: "These are risky for a couple different reasons.
"One of them is the asphyxiation risk. Any time something is around the neck, we get concerned about that airway. If they got hung up on something and put pressure on the airway, we don't want that at all."
She continued: "We want them to have their face above the water. I would completely avoid these neck floats - in the bathtub and in pools."
Ultimately, a neck float may give you a false sense of security and allow you to get distracted.
Martin added: "It’s important to always be paying attention to your kids around the water. No phones at all and no neck floats."
Water wings or floaties
Water wings or floaties also give parents a false sense of security.
Martin said: "For the kiddos, when they use these in the water, they think they can swim when they probably cannot.
"So, later, they may jump in the pool [without the wings or floaties] and sink right to the bottom because they cannot swim."
They also carry a high risk of leading your child to end up in a bad vertical position.
She said: "For a swimming position, you're a little bit more horizontal, either on your front or on your back. And so in that [vertical] position, you tend to sink down, and so that's not a good position."
Large and/or heavy floats
They can lead to your child getting trapped under the water.
Martin said: "Kids can get stuck underneath these floats or stuck under the water, and, obviously, that's scary for them.
"If they’re stuck under the water, they’re not able to breathe."
Mermaid tails
Mermaid tails have accelerated in popularity recently - but Martin warns against them.
She says: "Anything that restricts leg movement or foot movement is a drowning risk.
"We want kids to be able to kick their feet to get back up to the surface. If movement is restricted, they may not be able to do that."
Generally speaking, Martin advises that you always have a 'water watcher'.
She concluded: "Your attention needs to be on the kids at all times. No distractions. Have a ‘water watcher,’ so there’s someone who's designated and sober to watch the kids in the pool."
Kya Buller