Many parents unknowingly allow their children to blow up rubber balloons, unaware that these balloons are made from rubber latex along with additives that can be harmful to children.
>>> Children in Europe will no longer be allowed to blow up balloons
Ms. Nguyen Thi To (Binh Chanh, Ho Chi Minh City) shares that her child, around 3 years old, frequently plays with balloons. Not only does the child blow up balloons with their mouth, but they also put popped balloon pieces into their mouth to create small round shapes.
Children Blowing Balloons Carelessly
According to the reporter’s findings, most parents and teachers are still unaware of the dangers of children blowing up balloons. Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc N, a preschool teacher at Nắng Hồng Private Kindergarten (Binh Chanh, Ho Chi Minh City), mentions that many children here love to blow up balloons, especially during holidays and festivals. When they see balloons being sold on the streets, they often ask their parents to buy them. Since the cost of this activity is low, parents usually fulfill their children’s requests. Teachers also do not prohibit children from playing with balloons, only cautioning about hygiene.
Allowing children to blow balloons is inviting trouble
Ms. Nguyen Thi To also stated that she was completely unaware of the dangers of balloons, “I see my child playing with balloons and then getting the dye on their hands and mouth, so I just take them to wash their hands because I’m worried about making their clothes and food dirty.”
The exposure of young children to balloons through activities such as playing, blowing, or sometimes even swallowing them is not considered significant by adults, as they believe it is a harmless game.
Unforeseeable Dangers
However, in discussions with the reporter, Mr. Mai Thanh Chi from the Institute of Chemical Technology stated that during the production of balloons, manufacturers use a variety of hazardous chemical additives, heavy metals, organic acids, and industrial dyes. As a result, most balloons on the market today are very toxic for young children when blown, sucked, or even just handled. This can directly impact the physical and mental development of children, and the most dangerous part is that these substances may even be carcinogenic.
The most dangerous substances may even cause cancer…
It is known that the primary material for producing rubber balloons is liquid rubber latex, which is kept in a liquid state by mixing it with ammonia. Depending on the intended shape of the balloon, molds are dipped into the container of liquid latex, then dried and dipped multiple times until the desired thickness is achieved. To prevent the balloons from sticking together, a light powder is sprinkled on them. Additionally, coloring agents are used to enhance colors such as green, red, purple, and yellow. These colorants are industrial powders and contain harmful metals like lead in red dye and chromium in blue and yellow dyes.
Dr. Pham Thanh Quan, Head of the Chemical Engineering Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, also noted that many countries worldwide have strict regulations regarding children’s balloon play, with each type of balloon clearly marked for appropriate age groups. However, in Vietnam, there is virtually no strict control over the quality, potential harm, or colors of each type of balloon. Most rubber balloons currently in Vietnam are sourced from two main origins: imports from China and local production. The production methods are largely spontaneous and lack stringent control processes, which increases the level of toxicity.
Dr. Quan also recommends that parents avoid allowing their children to suck, blow, or directly handle balloons. Direct contact can lead to colorants transferring to their hands, which they then suck, causing toxicity. This is especially concerning for children under 3 or 4 years old, as rubber balloons pose a risk of choking or swallowing when blown up.
