Doctors issue warning about the danger of heavy toilet seats to male toddlers

UK doctors have expressed considerable concerns about the growing trend for heavy wooden and ornamental toilet seats after a number of male toddlers were admitted with crush injuries to their penises.

Writing in the December issue of BJU International, Dr Joe Philip and his colleagues at Leighton Hospital, Crewe, report on four boys under the age of four, who were admitted with injuries serious enough to require an overnight stay. "As Christmas approaches many families will be visiting relatives and friends and their recently toilet trained toddlers will be keen to show how grown up they are by going to the toilet on their own" he says.

"It is important that parents check out the toilet seats in advance, not to mention the ones they have in their own homes, and accompany their children if necessary. A recent market research report has suggested that there has been a worldwide increase in the number of wooden and ceramic toilet seats sold. We would not be surprised to hear that other colleagues have noticed an increase in penis crush injuries as a result of this."



The four boys, aged from two to four, all attended as urological emergencies. All had been recently toilet trained and they were using the toilet on their own.

They had lifted the toilet seats, which had then fallen back down, crushing their penises. Three had a build up of fluid in their foreskin, but were still able to pass urine, and the fourth had glanular tenderness.

Luckily there were no urethal injuries or bleeding and the symptoms settled down with pain relief. All the children were able to go home the next day.

The authors have come up with four key recommendations.