(HealthNewsDigest.com) – TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 1, 2011 — The holiday season is upon us, which makes it prime time for toy buying. In fact, more than half of the three billion toys and games sold in the United States each year are purchased at Christmastime. And while the majority of toys are safe, thanks in part to stronger federal rules and higher standards from toy makers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that in 2010 alone more than 180,000 U.S. children were treated in hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries.
“Toys have changed over the years and the assortment can be astounding, particularly to those who haven’t shopped for kids in a while,” said Rebecca Kynes, a child advocate at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. “Child safety, however, never goes out of style. It is something parents and family members should always keep in mind when selecting gifts for youngsters.”
Kynes notes that appropriate selection and proper use of toys, combined with parental supervision, can greatly reduce the incidence and severity of toy-related injuries. When selecting gifts this holiday season, be sure to:
— Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become
dangerous play things for young children.
— 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.
— 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 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 toys that produce loud noises. High-volume games can permanently
impair a child’s hearing, and loud sounds can frighten a younger child.
— Look for well-made toys.
— 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.
— Choose toys suitable to the child’s age, interest and skill level. “Age
labels are for safety reasons and not intended as developmental
ratings,” said Kynes. “If a package indicates the toy isn’t suitable for
children under 3, it doesn’t mean that your 2-year-old won’t be able to
figure out how to play with the toy, but rather that the toy has small
parts or sharp pieces that could injure a younger child.”
Kynes adds that 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:
— Don’t forget to buy elbow and knee pads as well as wrist guards for
skates and skateboards.
— 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.
— 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.
— 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.
Kids sometimes are reluctant to wear protective gear, insisting that they are good riders or complain that none of their friends wear them. But Kynes urges parents to resist that temptation, and notes “requiring children to wear a helmet every time, everywhere they go, is the best thing you can do to protect them.”
For more information on how to keep kids safe this holiday season, or anytime of the year, visit StJosephsChildrens.com.
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