Top doctors have revealed everyday things they would never let their children do because of the health risks.
Dr. Shilpa Dass, a pediatric neurologist from New Jersey, filmed nine of her friends and family, who are highly specialized doctors, as they revealed what’s on their banned list as parents.
She also added her own no-no.
A pediatric anesthetist revealed she would never let her child eat grapes without cutting them up first because of the choking risk this poses.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust warns that young children can choke on whole grapes, as ‘the size and shape of grapes means they can completely block a child’s airways’.
The charity adds: ‘And the tight seal produced by the grape’s smooth surface makes them difficult to dislodge using standard first aid techniques.’
It recommends cutting grapes for children up to five years old because “they have small airways that can easily be blocked by a grape.”
In the US, at least one child dies every five days from choking on food.
Then another guest of Dr. Dass, a neurosurgeon, that he would never let his son ride an ATV because “the risk of traumatic brain injury is too great.”
Dr. Shilpa Dass, a pediatric neurologist from New Jersey, filmed nine of her medical friends as they revealed what’s on their banned list as parents.
Between 2012 and 2021, there were an estimated 67,957 ATV-related head injuries involving children in the US.
The most common types of head injuries in ATVs are concussions and closed head injuries where the skull does not fracture, followed by fractures.
According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, there are more than 11,000 non-fatal ATV/UTV-related injuries in children and teens each year.
Of these injuries, 15 percent require hospitalization.
According to the latest report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, from 2018 through 2020, there were 2,448 deaths in the U.S. related to off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, recreational off-road vehicles and commercial off-road vehicles.
ATVs were responsible for more than two-thirds of the deaths. Nearly 300 deaths occurred among children under 16 years of age.
Dr. Dass’ gastroenterologist friend says he would never let his children play with toys that come with button batteries.
A Consumer Reports investigation recently revealed alarming safety risks for children, toys and household products powered by button and button cell batteries.
CR assessed 31 items, including some toys, and found that almost one in three products contained dangerously accessible button batteries.
Many more batteries lacked clear warnings about the serious health risks these batteries pose.
The consumer group notes that button cell batteries not only pose a choking hazard to children, but they “can also cause life-threatening injuries such as severe chemical burns and poisoning if swallowed.”
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), between 2011 and 2021, an estimated 54,300 emergency room visits and at least 25 deaths were attributed to exposure to button batteries.
An estimated 78 percent of these incidents involved children aged six or younger.
Then an OB/GYN says she would never let her children go to school without teaching them about menstruation and contraception.
According to a Rutgers study, only half of young people in the US receive sex education that meets minimum standards.
This lack of awareness can lead to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STDs).
A Consumer Reports investigation recently uncovered alarming safety risks for children in toys and household products powered by button and button cell batteries
Meanwhile, Dr. Dass’s orthopedic spine surgeon friend says he would never own a home trampoline.
The Mayo Clinic reports that more than 800,000 children suffered trampoline injuries in the US between 2009 and 2018, and most of these occurred in children’s homes.
Of these injuries, 34 percent were long bone fractures in the lower and upper extremities.
Radius and ulnar fractures were the most common – ‘usually resulting from a fall on an outstretched hand’.
While Dr. Dass’ friend, who is an eye care specialist, moves on to another part of the body, she says she would never let her child sleep with contact lenses.
The Michigan Eye Institute warns that wearing contact lenses while you sleep increases the risk of eye infection, which can lead to vision loss and permanent scarring.
Research shows that nighttime contact increases the risk more than five times, regardless of the type of lens used.
Another doctor who specializes in obesity medicine says she would never make her children feel guilty about their food choices.
Research shows that food guilt can lead to anxiety, shame and disordered eating.
Sonya Islam, a registered dietitian at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, suggests several strategies to help children and teens develop a positive relationship with food.
She says it’s important to prepare and eat meals with pleasure as a family, develop healthy eating routines and avoid labeling foods as good or bad.
Another of her strategies is to focus on a healthy lifestyle, not dieting.
Another person at Dr.’s meeting. Dass, who works as an internist, reveals in the video that he would make sure his children “never text and drive” due to the risk of fatal car crashes, while a cardiologist featured in the clip says he would never allow it to be vaped.
The nonprofit organization Nemours Children’s warns that health risks of vaping include addiction, sleep problems, anxiety and depression and that there is evidence that vaping can cause sexual dysfunction in men.
The report also notes that ‘young people who vape are more likely to start smoking regular (tobacco) cigarettes and are likely to develop other addictions in the future.’
Finally, Dr. Dass, who has two young children of her own after working for many years as a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, says she would never let them go to a sleepover because of the risk of sexual abuse and injury among the care of others.
She explains in the comments section, “Don’t come at me about mine. Yes, I already did this as a child, but I have seen far too much in my work!’
Many commentators, who also practice medicine and law, agreed with Dr. Dass on this point.
One wrote: ‘As a clinical psychologist I would never let my children go to sleepovers and also keep an eye on the older children around them.
“And teach them about consent and bodily autonomy.”