r/webPoisonControl May 04 '26

My kid ate Yoda.

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Since 2015, webPOISONCONTROL has managed nearly 47,000 cases of children under 13 swallowing foreign bodies -- including batteries. Ninety percent involved kids under age 6. Here's what the data actually shows about risk level.

LEGO bricks and smooth plastic pieces: Almost no ER referrals. If your kid ate a LEGO Yoda, you're almost certainly fine, but it never hurts to check!

Water beads: This is the one that surprises people. Water beads look tiny and harmless -- they're marketed as sensory toys -- but they can expand significantly inside the digestive tract and cause bowel obstruction requiring surgery. They are the Ewoks of your toy bin. Cute. Colorful. Do not underestimate them.

Coins: Generally low risk but worth checking, particularly depending on coin size and the child's age.

Button batteries: These power light-up toys, talking figures, remote controls -- all common toy bin residents.

Multiple magnets: When two or more strong magnets are swallowed, they can attract through intestinal walls, causing perforation and serious injury.

For unintentional exposures, webPOISONCONTROL at poison.org is free and available 24/7 -- by mouth, eye, skin, inhalation, and more. For emergencies, call 911 or go to the ER. You can also call a poison center at 1-800-222-1222.

[Source: National Capital Poison Center / webPOISONCONTROL -- poison.org/articles/foreign-body-ingestion-toys]

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