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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With the excitement of the holidays, parents and relatives eagerly purchase the hottest toys and latest items for their children. But it’s during the hustle and bustle of the season that many fail to buy age appropriate gifts and they tend to disregard warnings on these toys and gifts when it comes to ensuring safety.
Doctors and experts at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
suggest parents consider their child’s age, interests, and skill
levels when purchasing toys. While shopping, parents are urged to read
product warnings and labels, look for sturdy construction and avoid
items with sharp edges and points. Once the gifts are opened, it’s
important to quickly discard plastic wrappings and keep older children’s
toys away from younger siblings.
“Children under five years – and especially those under three years –
are particularly vulnerable to airway obstruction due to small upper
airways, inexperience with chewing and a natural tendency to put
everything in their mouths,” says Michael Gittelman, MD, an emergency
medicine physician at Cincinnati Children’s.
Dr. Gittelman added that choking is the one of the leading causes of
toy-related death. Most of these deaths are attributed to toy balls and
latex balloons; as well as non toy related objects like coins and foods.
The Child Safety Protection Act requires choking hazard warning labels
on packaging for small toys or toys containing small parts that are
intended for use by children ages 3 to 6. The act also bans any toy
intended for use by children under age 3 that may pose a choking or
ingestion hazard. Parents are encouraged to read all warning labels
carefully before purchasing any item.
A “choke tube” or small parts tester can be purchased to check for
choking hazards from small toys. The “choke tube” is a plastic
cylinder object that approximates the size of a child’s airway.
Parents and care givers can also use a toilet paper roll if they don’t
have access to a choke tube. If an object fits entirely in the cylinder
(without being compressed) it is small enough to be a choking hazard.
“Riding toys (including unpowered scooters) are associated with more
injuries than any other toy group. Death may occur when a child is hit
by a motor vehicle, or when a child rides the toy into a body of water
or down the stairs,” stated Gittelman. “The majority of riding
toy-related injuries occurs when children fall from toys.”
Dr. Gittelman adds that parents and caregivers also need to be extra
cautious about toys that are handed down from friends and relatives that
may not have warning labels. He advises that parents and caregivers
inspect these toys carefully and use their best judgment. He also
suggests that parents be aware of safety hazards associated with toys
that have magnets, including ingestion and choking.
Drowning, suffocation, and strangulation are other causes of
toy-related deaths.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, parents can
help prevent toy-related injuries by purchasing age appropriate toys.
Examples of good age appropriate toys may include:
· Zero to one year-olds explore with their eyes, hands and
mouth.
– Crib gyms
– Floor activity centers
– Activity quilts
– Squeaky toys
– Soft dolls or stuffed animals with non-removable eyes
· One to three year-olds climb, jump, walk, throw and play rough
and tumble games.
– Soft blocks
– Large blocks
– Push and pull toys
– Pounding and shaping toys
– Popup and picture books
· Three to five year-olds like to use their imagination and have
toys that are close companions.
– Nontoxic art supplies
– Pretend toys (e.g. play money, telephone)
– Teddy bears or dolls
– Outdoor toys (e.g. tricycle and a helmet)
– Books
· Five to nine year-olds like to be challenged with complex
games that teach specific skills and concepts.
– Arts and craft kits
– Puppets
– Jump ropes
– Action figures
– Miniature dolls
– Books
· Nine to 14 year-olds develop lifelong skills, hobbies and
enjoy team and individual sports.
– Handheld electronic games
– Board games
– Sports equipment with protective gear (helmet, knee pads,
elbow pads)
– Model kits
– Musical instruments
– Books
About Cincinnati Children’s
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of America’s top
three children’s hospitals for general pediatrics and is highly ranked
for its expertise in digestive diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer,
neonatal care, heart care and neurosurgery, according to the annual
ranking of best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. One
of the three largest children’s hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati
Children’s is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of
Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research
grants from the National Institutes of Health.
For its achievements in transforming healthcare, Cincinnati Children’s
is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American
Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize ® for leadership
and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The
hospital is a national and international referral center for complex
cases, so that children with the most difficult-to-treat diseases and
conditions receive the most advanced care leading to better outcomes.
Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org (
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ ).
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