Toy Safety

With the holiday season in full swing, it means that more toys are being purchased.

Here are some tips to keep children safe when it comes to buying toys, taken from St. Joseph's Children's Hospital:

Skip toys with small magnetic pieces for any child under age 6 or under age 10 if they have younger siblings who could easily access the pieces.

Look for well-made toys.

Avoid toys that produce loud noises. High-volume games can permanently impair a child's hearing, and loud sounds can frighten a younger child.

Avoid toys painted with lead paint. Exposure to lead can result in lead poisoning, causing serious damage to a child's brain, kidneys and nervous system.

Avoid electrical toys with heating elements (batteries, electrical plugs) for children under the age of 8. These toys are a potential burn hazard.

Avoid toys with strings, straps or cords longer than 7 inches, which can wrap around a child's neck and accidentally strangle him or her.

Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become dangerous play things for young children.

Riding toys should not be used near stairs, traffic or swimming pools, and that parents can use the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper to identify small toy parts that are potential choking hazards. "Small children should not play with anything that can fit into one of these cylinders."

A Gift is Not Complete Unless Proper Protective Gear is Included: Bicycles, skates, scooters and skateboards are popular gifts for the holidays, but if children lack the proper protective gear or skills, injury and death can occur. To keep kids safe whenever they "wheel" around, be sure to:

Include a helmet as part of a gift, which according to Safe Kids USA, can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury as much as 88 percent.

Buy stickers or bike reflectors and use them on the front, sides and back of the bike to increase the child's visibility to drivers.

Buy a bike horn or a bell as a stocking stuffer. This tool is essential for warning motorists and pedestrians of a bicyclist's approach.

Don't forget to buy elbow and knee pads as well as wrist guards for skates and skateboards.

Source: MarketWatch

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