Keep holiday toy gift-giving safe: Tips from a pediatrician
While toys are the highlight of the holidays for children, it's important for gift-givers to remember to keep them age-appropriate and to pay attention to possible safety hazards.
it's estimated that 200,000 toy-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2020.
Dr. Liberty Lowe, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente Orange County says the most common toy injuries are from mobile devices like scooters, bikes, skateboards, and roller skates. She said to make sure when gifting these, to also add on a helmet and protective gear.
Eye injuries also rank pretty high among the tots, with pokes from toys with sharp edges or toys that shoot objects. Dr. Lowe said she also sees young patients who swallow toys or lodge them in their ears and noses, and while most can be removed easily, she said batteries and magnets can be life-threatening and require surgery.
"A lot of these injuries can be avoided if parents keep in mind the toys need to be age-appropriate. So to that end, remember that children love to put things in their mouths, so make sure they are labeled as nontoxic, make sure that there is no lead, make sure that they don't have small parts that can be swallowed or choked on," Lowe said.
"So a good rule of thumb is that if a toy can fit through a toilet paper roll, it can be swallowed."
Dr. Lowe advised to avoid giving toys that can shoot or that have flying parts, toys that contain heating elements, or toys that can cause asphyxiation if wrapped around the neck or placed over the face.
"So when you see that toy, make sure the toys are well made with no parts that can break off or have tears where stuffing can fall out and be swallowed. Batteries should be firmly affixed into the toy with a screw," Lowe said.
And lastly, Lowe said to make sure the toys have passed U.S. inspection, with an ASTM F963 label and electric toys should be labeled with UL Certification.
For further toy safety information, visit Healthychildren.org and Cpsc.gov.
