Christmas confetti killers: watch out for the sparkly stars

Celebrating the silly season with sparkly confetti stars might be fun, but researchers warn parents to keep an eye on their little ones this silly season, as the decorations can be a Christmassy choking hazard. In an MJA letter to the editor, the authors describe the case of a 9-month old girl who came into the hospital after a choking fit, but doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with her. After six days of investigating the young girl’s increasing fever, cough, swelling and breathing issues, the doctors performed an emergency surgery and found a tiny plastic star embedded in her windpipe. The authors write that even though the stars are small and flexible, their pointy tips can get lodged in all kinds of places, and parents and doctors alike should be aware of the risks of the confetti and other decorations.