Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’

241 replies

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 06:12

Yes I got your attention. I’m not being unreasonable I could save your kids life. Also I am the op of the previous aibu post but I binned my account in a social media cleanse and then realised I needed to try and reshare tbe post. Finally I started a new thread because im
afraid people will see 2024 and think
’zombie thread and disregard my post’

It’s Christmas I am a colorectal surgeon and we have had to perform 5 emergency operations in 2 weeks related to button batteries but this is so far from the normal, it is increasing exponentially
If you suspect your child or elderly person with dementia or anyone with SEND and who has difficulty communicating has swallowed a button battery and I mean if you even notice the compartment on a battery operated toy or tea light is open and missing and you didn't see you child swallow it. GO IMMEDIATELY TO A&E! Button batteries and shiny, easy to grab for
Toddler and easy to confuse for tablets for elderly patients

If your child is over the age of 12 months old give 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 mins until you reach hospital. This is crucial and will coat the battery so it doesn't burn the oesophagus or intestines.
Yes it's not ideal if the child needs surgery but there are emergency procedures we can do to minimise risk of aspiration and the risk of aspiration of honey is less than the risk posed of the battery.

I can’t tell you to give honey to an under 12 month old baby because it’s against nhs guidelines but I would have no issue giving it to my child if I knew they’d eaten a button battery.

In the US, all energiser branded button batteries are coated to taste bitter and covered in a safe dye that dyes the tongue and mouth blue. This is being rolled out the Uk slowly but surely.
There are photos online portraying the damage that honey does to the battery on the slice of ham but it's not to be looked at because the whole point of the honey is to coat the battery and help it not stay too long in one place and move through the digestive tract.

I will also add these absolutely horrific orbeez things to this thread but really they need banning from the world.
If your nursery or child care provider uses them in sensory play, please tell them to stop or move child care providers (hard I know) but orbeez feel brilliant to children and when they have no taste so when they're exploring orally it's very very easy to eat them. And you can't see them on xray until they're a certain size and even then they look like built up gas in the bowel. Obviously if the child has ingested loads then they you see them. However if it's one or 2 they can be tiny when swallowed but they continue to expand and expand, they can case major bowel obstructions.
Please do this. No orbeez and keep and eye out for button batteries (god why are they in so many toys??!)
First photo is a button battery on ham for 30
Mins, second photos is an orbeez removed from
A child and the 3rd shows you how many much they can expand from
The original.
Don't let it impact your life but just keep it at the forefront
If this stops 1 more family from meeting me for surgery on their child then good!

Sensitive content
‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
Sensitive content
‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
Sensitive content
‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
OP posts:
RaininSummer · 17/12/2025 18:54

Ty for taking the time to post this. Hope you have a calm Christmas.

LouiseK93 · 17/12/2025 18:34

Thank you OP xx

Greendiamondbee · 17/12/2025 18:09

Thank you for your service. Wishing you a peaceful Christmas.

Khayker · 17/12/2025 17:47

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 06:12

Yes I got your attention. I’m not being unreasonable I could save your kids life. Also I am the op of the previous aibu post but I binned my account in a social media cleanse and then realised I needed to try and reshare tbe post. Finally I started a new thread because im
afraid people will see 2024 and think
’zombie thread and disregard my post’

It’s Christmas I am a colorectal surgeon and we have had to perform 5 emergency operations in 2 weeks related to button batteries but this is so far from the normal, it is increasing exponentially
If you suspect your child or elderly person with dementia or anyone with SEND and who has difficulty communicating has swallowed a button battery and I mean if you even notice the compartment on a battery operated toy or tea light is open and missing and you didn't see you child swallow it. GO IMMEDIATELY TO A&E! Button batteries and shiny, easy to grab for
Toddler and easy to confuse for tablets for elderly patients

If your child is over the age of 12 months old give 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 mins until you reach hospital. This is crucial and will coat the battery so it doesn't burn the oesophagus or intestines.
Yes it's not ideal if the child needs surgery but there are emergency procedures we can do to minimise risk of aspiration and the risk of aspiration of honey is less than the risk posed of the battery.

I can’t tell you to give honey to an under 12 month old baby because it’s against nhs guidelines but I would have no issue giving it to my child if I knew they’d eaten a button battery.

In the US, all energiser branded button batteries are coated to taste bitter and covered in a safe dye that dyes the tongue and mouth blue. This is being rolled out the Uk slowly but surely.
There are photos online portraying the damage that honey does to the battery on the slice of ham but it's not to be looked at because the whole point of the honey is to coat the battery and help it not stay too long in one place and move through the digestive tract.

I will also add these absolutely horrific orbeez things to this thread but really they need banning from the world.
If your nursery or child care provider uses them in sensory play, please tell them to stop or move child care providers (hard I know) but orbeez feel brilliant to children and when they have no taste so when they're exploring orally it's very very easy to eat them. And you can't see them on xray until they're a certain size and even then they look like built up gas in the bowel. Obviously if the child has ingested loads then they you see them. However if it's one or 2 they can be tiny when swallowed but they continue to expand and expand, they can case major bowel obstructions.
Please do this. No orbeez and keep and eye out for button batteries (god why are they in so many toys??!)
First photo is a button battery on ham for 30
Mins, second photos is an orbeez removed from
A child and the 3rd shows you how many much they can expand from
The original.
Don't let it impact your life but just keep it at the forefront
If this stops 1 more family from meeting me for surgery on their child then good!

Great advice thank you. Does giving honey work for pets?

UrsulaBelle · 17/12/2025 15:45

Thank you OP. Bumping for you.

Princessdebthe1st · 17/12/2025 14:42

lcakethereforeIam · 17/12/2025 10:40

Thank you OP.

Can I add these to the list?

TiSkying Magic Grow Capsules Growing in Water Animal Toys Baby Cognition Toys Early Educational Toy - 4PCS : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games https://share.google/LKl7rQYgZ3tmU0qz0

I'm actually astonished to find these for sale. I thought, googling for them that they must have been banned already. I feel like, hopefully, I'm missing something.

Eta Fwiw I've reported that product to Amazon.

Edited

I have reported these to Trading Standards as they might be on sale in other places as well as Amazon. I can se no evidence of a CE mark or equivalent

spiderlight · 17/12/2025 14:20

Thank you for this post. Bumping.

godmum56 · 17/12/2025 11:41

elliejjtiny · 17/12/2025 11:00

Thank you OP. I always end up arguing with FIL because I bin used button batteries (and all other ones too) immediately rather than keep them to be recycled, i don't take chances with batteries and i don't want them lying around.

please don't bin batteries. Every shop that sells them has to have a disposal bin or accept them for disposal. https://nfcc.org.uk/over-1200-battery-fires-in-bin-lorries-and-waste-sites-across-the-uk-in-last-year/

ErrolTheDragon · 17/12/2025 11:31

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 10:54

Oh my god what fresh hell are these???

Bloody hell. Description includes

  • ^Warm notice: do not let children play with this capsule alone, only available for over 12 years old; Inedible, do not swallow.
^

the title includes ‘Baby cognition’ and ‘early years’ . Angry
I don’t have an amazon account so can’t report the product.

YouBelongHere · 17/12/2025 11:28

I do our EY Newsletter and included an article about button batteries - thank you for the thread OP! Reading about the little girl who swallowed those magnets was awful.

BusMumsHoliday · 17/12/2025 11:25

I didn't know about the recommendation for honey if batteries are swallowed: thank you, OP.

I hope you have a merry and quiet Christmas.

Gerbera55 · 17/12/2025 11:23

Orbeez terrify me. I’ve seen parents (and educational settings) use them as sensory toys by putting them in plastic bottles but even if you glue the lid on, the plastic bottles can weaken over time when constantly played with.

I have a 4 month old so very non-mobile but I’m already thinking about childproofing - any tips would be gratefully received! I have a small piano with a button battery but it is a screw back - still dangerous or okay as long as I check it regularly?

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 11:21

I also want to add those small metal magnets that bang when they go together. They will do that through bowel

OP posts:
StephensLass1977 · 17/12/2025 11:20

Thank you, this is so thoughtful and insightful.

Funnywonder · 17/12/2025 11:18

I remember your previous thread OP. Such an important message.

lcakethereforeIam · 17/12/2025 11:16

There's nothing about them being banned. The AI summary just wangs on about strict safety warningsHmm, that's just batteries, orbeez and their dupes. The sponge pills 💊 are either beyond my Google-fu or there's nothing out there except stuff about forever chemicals!

There are poignant articles from December 2024 warning about the risks of orbeez, etc. from the OPs contemporaries.

carconcerns · 17/12/2025 11:11

Thank you and bump!!

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 11:08

Pranksters · 17/12/2025 10:10

Can we add Orbeez to the list?

They can expand inside the body when inhaled or swallowed causing blockages.

Orbeez are honestly my worst nightmare. They look like gas on scans unless there are hundreds of them!

OP posts:
Cat1202 · 17/12/2025 11:06

My daughter worked with vulnerable young adults and they swallowed these as a way of self harm, thank you for posting this

StarsShiningOnANighttimeSea · 17/12/2025 11:01

Much as I'm sure you're a very nice person, I would equally prefer to not need to see you in your professional capacity at Christmas (or at any other time of the year) either.

It's been drummed into our kids (6 and 3) since they were old enough to understand that eating shiny things would make them very poorly and to bring anything shiny that falls out of something straight to us. Even then, it's been truly distressing the number of items containing poorly secured button batteries we've had to confiscate over the years.

elliejjtiny · 17/12/2025 11:00

Thank you OP. I always end up arguing with FIL because I bin used button batteries (and all other ones too) immediately rather than keep them to be recycled, i don't take chances with batteries and i don't want them lying around.

Theseventhmagpie · 17/12/2025 10:56

Thanks OP. It was always my child’s grandparents that I worried about with these batteries hence the need to remind them as well of the dangers (my parents were both elderly retired medics who had scalpels and all sorts left lying around 😞)

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 10:54

lcakethereforeIam · 17/12/2025 10:40

Thank you OP.

Can I add these to the list?

TiSkying Magic Grow Capsules Growing in Water Animal Toys Baby Cognition Toys Early Educational Toy - 4PCS : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games https://share.google/LKl7rQYgZ3tmU0qz0

I'm actually astonished to find these for sale. I thought, googling for them that they must have been banned already. I feel like, hopefully, I'm missing something.

Eta Fwiw I've reported that product to Amazon.

Edited

Oh my god what fresh hell are these???

OP posts:
FollowSpot · 17/12/2025 10:53

Thank you OP.

I had never heard of Orbeez - how on earth are they allowed? The first link when you Google warbles about their sensory qualities, so attractive to those with young and / or SEN children. Shocking.

Also how can we be so far behind on the safety measures for batteries?

Wr need to be writing to our MPs . If you as one surgeon in the whole country have done 5 emergency operations in 2 weeks the problem is huge 🤬.

Every ad on TV is trying to get us to spend money on battery driven stuff - NO public safety ads these days.