Andrew Dickens Afternoons

It can never be said scientists are afraid to put their bodies on the line for science. Six reserchers from Australia and the UK have revealed that they all swallowed the head of a Lego figure to show that they can pass through the human body without ill effect.The 10mm by 10mm heads are one of the most common items swallowed by children. However, the researchers showed that the pieces pass through the bowels within 1.7 days. They even developed a new score to prove this - Found and Retrieved Time (FART).Another score, Stool Hardness and Transit - or SHAT - found that the consistency of their stools did not change with the plastic in their bodies. The research says that most smooth plastics pass easily, and parents should only worry if kids swallow things that are sharp, longer than 5cm, wider than 2.5cm, or are items such as magnets and small batteries.LISTEN TO RAYLENE TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.