A warning has been issued to parents about the dangers posed by batteries and magnets to little ones this Christmas.
The number of children being admitted to hospital after ingesting small objects has doubled over the last 10 years, from 115 in 2011/12 to 228 in 2021/22 according to NHS Digital data.
The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital saw a rise in cases during the pandemic likely due to children being at home with toys more - and is calling on parents to be careful what is left lying around and in reach of children this Christmas. It comes after we reported how one youngster, five-year-old Jude Foley, needed emergency surgery to remove 52 magnetic balls which he'd swallowed. An X-ray taken after he'd become poorly, showed them stuck in the shape of a ring in his bowel.
