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‘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’
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‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
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‘I DO NOT want to see you at Christmas’
OP posts:
SoftandQuiet · 17/12/2025 10:50

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

Love how the warning right at the bottom says for over 12 years only but the photo shows preschoolers!

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.

Nancylancy · 17/12/2025 10:35

Thank you

EmeraldShamrock000 · 17/12/2025 10:31

Thank you. I hope you have an amazing Christmas with minimal stress.

Freesiapleaser · 17/12/2025 10:26

Yep. So right.
I've seen this too. I once had to take my 9 month old in with unexplained bleeding and they thought he'd swallowed a battery. Because they'd had 2 the week before.
I thought it was unlikely but it was still scary. (because we had none in the house until the kids were out of that stage but even now he's 5 we try to choose toys that don't have these or have a screw back. We have been known to just throw toys out to avoid them)

IWishToBeAnonymous · 17/12/2025 10:23

Bump!
Thanks op, my kids both had time straight after birth either in intensive care or the children's ward but luckily nothing else after that, so am very grateful to all the doctors in the NHS.
This is probably one of the most important posts of Christmas Mumsnet.
My mum and dad put everything that was small or dangerous high up for about 4 years to make sure it was really safe, mother in law left everything out, it was very stressful. My mum even dedicated the bottom drawer in the kitchen to plastic pots and pots and a wooden spoon for the kids to discover, what a wonderful idea!
Classics or a Mumsnet feature on an annual basis ?

Whichone2024 · 17/12/2025 10:22

Thanks OP I will spread this message. Hope for you a peacefully Christmas

Nevereatcardboard · 17/12/2025 10:21

Thank you for the warning @SelotapeChicken

I’m also going to say be careful with pets getting hold of children’s toys as emergency vets also don’t want to see these injuries.

KittyWilkinson · 17/12/2025 10:17

Bumping, thank you.

godmum56 · 17/12/2025 10:16

many thank to the OP for this timely reminder. Swallowing them is obviously the most dangerous but remember they can go up noses and in ears as well. If you have more than one child, around at christmas, especially if they are not all yours, watch what they may be feeding each other too!

user46256728992 · 17/12/2025 10:14

Amazing that we live in world gone mad with health and safety rules, but this seems to have been overlooked! Hope you don't have a single Christmas patient OP!

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.

RitaFromThePitCanteen · 17/12/2025 10:04

This is so important. Thank you OP.

RanchRat · 17/12/2025 10:02

Thanks, hope you have a good Christmas.

pontipinemum · 17/12/2025 10:02

Thank you for the reminder. I am conscious of batteries, I have a 3yr old and 1 yr old.

I have never heard of an Orbeez but I will be asking my nursery if they have them.

Do you mind if I screen shot this and share on SM?

JacknDiane · 17/12/2025 10:00

Bumping, well done @SelotapeChicken for posting this.

Namechange568899542 · 17/12/2025 09:59

Not a mum (maybe one day!) and admittedly clicked on the post title for the drama… but stayed for the education. Had never heard of the honey trick, so good to know!

Another likely more “obvious” warning from me - leaving kids unattended with the Christmas tree. My mum left the room for all of 2 minutes when me and my sister were small, which is all it took my then 18 month old sibling, who’d shown no prior interest in it, to yank a bauble off the tree and bite it, smashing it into their mouth and throat resulting in being blue lighted to hospital.

Novemberbrain · 17/12/2025 09:53

Thank you, this has been the prompt I needed to have a quick review of things that use button batteries in our house. I hadn't heard of the honey advice either

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 17/12/2025 09:51

I had no idea - thank you very much for this warning and the life-saving tip about honey.

BlueOceanFish · 17/12/2025 09:51

Bump

Jugendstiel · 17/12/2025 09:50

Thank you. I almost bought DNiece (toddler) a battery operated toy for Christmas. Glad I bought her a board book instead.

Spookyspaghetti · 17/12/2025 09:47

Thanks. It does wind me up how many things require button batteries these days!

ThatPeachSwan · 17/12/2025 09:45

Thanks OP, very informative post

SelotapeChicken · 17/12/2025 09:45

takealettermsjones · 17/12/2025 09:12

Great thread @SelotapeChicken, thank you.

Can I ask, out of interest, would you do the same thing (with the honey) if you suspected a pet had eaten one?

Yes!

OP posts:
HelloSkeletonFace3 · 17/12/2025 09:39

Thank you for this important share

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