Charleston, WV (WOAY) – Holidays are a time for joy, and the West Virginia Poison Center has some recommendations for families to have a safe, enjoyable season.
Discs, buttons, or coin batteries are in several items, such as toys, musical cards and books, remote controls, and ornaments.
These batteries are hazardous and can cause severe injury or death if swallowed.
Make sure all items children play with have secure battery compartments, such as a battery area that requires a screwdriver to open.
Keep all products containing accessible batteries up and away from children and pets.
Additionally, some toys and novelty items contain small, powerful magnets that can cause serious injury if swallowed.
Avoid purchasing toys or desk accessories with magnets if young children are in the home.
Toys that absorb water and expand have become popular among children in the past several years, such as water-absorbing balls or beads.
These colorful items can become dangerous if a child or pet ingests them.
Avoid purchasing beads or balls that expand to larger than pea size, and keep unexpanded beads up and out of reach of small children.
For more information, call the West Virginia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
The Center is open for calls 24/7, 365 days a year, if a potential poisoning occurs. Do not wait for symptoms to appear.
