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If this toy is on your child’s Christmas list you better read this warning!

Nerf guns have been a favourite with youngsters for decades, but doctors warn you really need to make sure you wear all the protective gear.

Doctors say the toys, which fire foam darts, are very dangerous and users must wear protective goggles in case they are shot in the eye, reports Daily Mail.

Experts said the darts risked causing internal bleeding around the eye as well as vision issues.

It comes after three patients in three months attended Moorfields Eye Hospital in London after being shot in the eye with a Nerf gun from distances of 3ft to 26ft.

In the journal BMJ Case Reports, the doctors said: ‘This emphasises the seriousness of ocular injury from Nerf gun projectiles and calls into consideration the need for protective eyewear with their use.

‘Nerf gun injuries can cause serious ocular trauma, as bullets travel at high speed.’

Doctors warned cheaper, non-branded bullets could be even more dangerous as they were harder – while YouTube videos showed children how they could modify the toys to make them shoot ‘harder, faster, further’.

Manufacturer Hasbro said products meet or exceed regulations. It said users should never aim at a person’s face, and use only Nerf darts.

A note on the Hasbro website even stipulates, “Never modify any NERF blasters or other NERF products. Use only the darts, water, rounds and discs designed for specific NERF blasters.”

Are your kids Nerf crazy?

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  • We taught our two not to aim near anyone’s face and haven’t had a problem, fortunately. And they love having Nerf wars with their Daddy!

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  • i know that these things are really popular but i didn’t realise that people were modding them. that is dangerous obviously!

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  • We don’t play with nerf guns, but good to know anyway.

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  • My son is into Nerf guns, something his father and he enjoy. Not much I can do about what they do at their place, but I will suggest goggles to them.

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  • no gun toys here, don’t believe in them

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  • My boy had a nerf gun and loved it. He and his friends never aimed at to face or even at a person though, which is good.

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  • No Nerf guns here – no interest. Like with most toys – supervision and common sense.

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  • Thanks for letting us know about the danger of the toy.

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  • Oh! I wouldn’t have never thought!! Here in my street it’s full of kids playing with these Nerf guns!!

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  • In the wrong hands or when not handled diligently, all toys are capable of harming people/children/animals. Extreme caution needs to be addressed when considering any type of toy and the child that will be using it – I don’t believe younger children have the mind set to think logically about dangers surrounding their actions with supposed innocent toys – that’s why, as parents, we need to exercise that caution for them.


    • I agree – playing with toys comes with risk.

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  • Maybe supervision is the answer.
    Actually I feel a lot of toys can become weapons if not used in the correct manner they are meant for. A simple yo yo can cause quite a deal of injury if indeed it is thrown around.
    Caution and common sense are the key words here.

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  • Yeah. A post on their website not to modify them or shoot them at someone’s face. That’ll stop it happening!

    Reply

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