Toys send more than 26,000 children to the emergency room every year.
What are common Toy-Related Injuries?
- Lacerations, contusions, or abrasions
- Asphyxiation
- Drowning
- Poisoning
- Burns
What toys are most dangerous?
- Nonmotorized scooters cause the most injuries of any toy
- Balloons are a choking hazard when popped
- Toy chests are an entrapment hazard
- Stuffed toys/dolls can have small parts (like buttons) that pose a choking hazard
- Inflatable toys used on land pose a fall hazard and those used on water pose a drowning hazard
- Trampolines cause about 100,000 injuries every year
- Magnets don’t travel through the digestive system. So if swallowed, they get stuck & can cause serious damage
- Small rubber balls pose a choking hazard
- Any small toy – if it’s small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube, it’s a choking hazard for young children
What are Some Toy Shopping Guidelines?
There are number of simple things you can do to reduce the chances of a toy-related injury. Make sure you do the following.
- Buy age appropriate toys – follow the age guidelines on packaging. Small parts are a choking hazard, especially for kids under 3.
- Stay up-to-date on the latest toy recalls
- Be cautious when buying used toys. Inspect the toy to make sure there isn’t any damage, and check for recalls before you make the purchase
- Be suspicious of prices that seem too good to be true. Oftentimes inexpensive toys are made overseas with no regulations over the use of lead paint and dangerous chemicals
- Take a toilet paper tube shopping with you. Toys that can fit through it are choking hazards.
- If a toy is for your own child, register it so you’ll be notified in the event of a recall
- Assemble and inspect toys before giving them to kids
- Clean up bags and small parts during holiday celebrations. This will remove tripping and choking hazards
- Keep original packaging and receipts. You’ll need them if your child is injured and you want to file a claim
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