Apple's AirPods are clearly designed for the ears only - but one mother has revealed how her son ended up in hospital after swallowing them.
Kiara Stroud, from Atlanta in Georgia, took to Facebook to tell the world about her family's ordeal to warn other parents of the choking hazards of AirPods.
Her post included an extraordinary image of the X-ray showing the AirPods in her seven-year-old son's stomach.
The post said: 'I can’t make this up. My child, my child. Thanks for all of the prayers. We’re home. No more airpods for this kid.'
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2711870922167423&set=a.198602503494290&type=3
She told Romper: 'I know, as a single mom, I raise my son to be very self-sufficient and expect a lot from him at such a young age. When this happened I had to realise that although he is 7 and above average height for his age, that he is still only a baby.'
Kiara explained to Romper she'd received a call while she was at work to say her son had choked and swallowed one of his AirPods and had been taken to hospital.
The doctors assured frantic Kiara that her son would pass the AirPod naturally and his life wasn't in danger.
After the traumatic event, Kiara posted again on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2711418612212654&set=a.198602503494290&type=3
She said: 'Today, we didn’t yell at him, didn’t curse, didn’t ask why, didn’t tell him he was too old, didn’t shame him, and didn’t make the situation worse. He already felt bad. He was scared and nervous. We let him know that everything was going to be OK, stayed calm, and it helped him to relax so that the doctors could do their jobs.'
He was apparently trying to disconnect the AirPods from his phone when the incident took place.
One mum commented: 'I'm glad he's OK. Kids do crazy things like how you do that but as parents you learn along the way what to give or not to give because he/she might put it in their mouth.'
Another said: 'You can’t really blame age as a factor or even knowing any better...I’m 19 and still catch myself putting things in my mouth, it can go from writing with a pen then somehow I’m chewing the pen top just a bad habit that even adults possess.'
But others were more critical, with one Facebook user saying: 'Why would you give a 7 year old AirPods anyway...?'
