|
Child toy safety means you have peace of mind when your child is playing. There are certain hazards that you need to be aware of and take precautions to avoid.
Manufacturers must follow certain standards when designing and making a new toy. However, there may be times that you are given gently-used toys by friends whose children have outgrown them or times when you find toys in a garage sale. In addition, there are many toys that are safe for our older children but just not safe baby toys. All toys need to be looked at with careful child toy safety in mind.
Choking Hazards- Child toy safety begins with avoiding toys that present a choking hazard. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), choking is the most common cause of toy-related deaths.
- Children under 3 or any child who still puts things in her mouth should never be allowed to play with small toys or toys with small parts.
- Special care should be given to toys with small balls. These seem to be the most dangerous as they can easily become lodged in your child’s windpipe, ears or nose. Balls for children under 6 must be more than 1.75 inches in diameter.
- Don’t allow babies or toddlers to play with their older siblings toys that contain small parts that a child under 3 can choke on.
Of course, this is not that easy to do if you have older children and toddlers. The best solution we came up with was to keep the toys with smaller parts up high and let the older kids play with them when an adult is there or when the baby is napping. 
- Infant toys, such as rattle, squeeze toys, and pacifiers should be large enough so that they cannot enter and become lodged in a baby’s throat.
Strangulation Hazards- Remove mobiles and all crib toys which are strung across a crib or playpen when your child is 5 months of age or earlier if she is beginning to push herself up on her hands and knees.
Babies this young can pull themselves up to a hanging crib toy and become entangled or fall forward over it; but they cannot disentangle themselves from it. Do not merely untie one end and allow the toy to dangle; strangulation is still a possibility.
- Never give young children toys with cords, strings or straps that fit around the neck. These can strangle a child if they become twisted around the neck.
Most young children cannot un-twist a cord or strap. The CPSC recommends that parents cut off the cords, strings or straps on toy guitars or other toys given to young children.
Balloons- Another important issue in child toy safety the you need to be aware of is the danger of balloons. According to the CPSC, balloons are the leading cause of suffocation death.
- Never allow children of any age to chew on balloons. For whatever reason, children like to chew on uninflated balloons or broken balloon pieces sometimes just stretching it across their mouths and sucking or blowing bubbles in it. These balloon pieces are easily sucked into and mold to the throat and lungs and completely block breathing.
- Do not allow children under the age of 8 to play with or attempt to blow up balloons without adult supervision. Completely inflated balloons do not seem to present a hazard, but if the balloon breaks, immediately pick up and dispose of the pieces.
Loud Noises- Some toys produce noise at a level that can damage hearing. If a toy is too loud for you, it is probably too loud for your child.
- Take batteries out of loud toys or cover the speakers with tape.
- Toy caps and some noisemaking play guns should not be used indoors or fired closer than 1 foot to the ear.
- Toy caps should never be carried in a pocket.
Magnets- Toys with magnets like magnetic building toys are of particular concern. If a child swallows 2 or more magnets they can attract each other through the intestinal walls and cause life-threatening complications.
 - Don’t allow children under 6 to play with toys that have magnets.
- If your child swallows more than one magnet, call your doctor or go to the emergency room.
Lead- Any discussion of child toy safety must include the dangers of exposure to lead, particularly with all of the recalls of toys last year that used lead paint.
- Children exposed to lead can suffer from developmental delays, lower IQ’s, attention and learning deficiencies and hearing problems.
- Children should never have toys or jewelry made of lead.
- Tell your children never to put jewelry in their mouths.
Propelled Objects
- Avoid dart guns or toys which might be capable of firing things not intended for use in the toy, such as pencils or nails.
- Never allow children to play with adult lawn darts or other hobby or sports equipment that have sharp points.
- BB guns are not toys. They require adult supervision as misuse or careless use may cause serious injury or death. They may be dangerous up to 350 yards and are recommended for use by those that are 16 years or older.
Toy Box Safety
- Use a toy box that has a lid that will stay open in any position and will not fall unexpectedly on a child.
- Watch for hinges that could pinch or squeeze.
- For extra child toy safety, be sure there are air holes in case your child climbs in the toy box.
I know there is a lot of information on this page about child toy safety and some of it seems very scary. However, once you know the possible dangers and use reasonable precautions, you can feel safe letting your child enjoy the world of toys. For tips on buying and maintaining toys, click here.
All credited images on this page are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License courtesy of Flicker.com. All other images are copyright protected.
Return to Top
Related Articles
Basic Home SafetyChemical Poisoning Chemical Safety Holidays - Christmas Holidays - Halloween Poisonous House Plants Safety Door Locks Safety Gates Toy Safety Guidelines Window Safety
Return from Child Toy Safety to Baby Proofing
Return from Child Toy Safety to The Baby Safety Site Homepage
|
