THIS HOLIDAY season, children’s health and safety are priorities. Before making any toy purchase, always remember this. More often than not, many consumers make a knee-jerk purchase based on the attractiveness, color, packaging and price of a toy, without paying attention to safety details.
There are basic tips that should help consumers keep kids out of harm’s way and we hope they would take note of them. Here’s a simple guide for choosing safe toys – age-appropriate; well-made; no small parts that kids may accidentally swallow; string shorter than 12 inches to avoid strangling; injury-free; not coated with lead paint; non-polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic; and labeled and registered. We encourage consumers to add more based on their personal experiences with common toy hazards.
Some of these common toy hazards include loose or small parts that may be ingested and bring about breathing difficulties or choking; pointed or sharp edges that may injure the eyes or cause cuts and grazes; cords or string longer than 12 inches that may pose strangulation risk; and hazardous chemicals such as lead in paint and phthalates in PVC plastic that may result in health and developmental problems.
Young children are more vulnerable to lead exposure because they often put their hands or other objects that may contain lead paint or dust in their mouths. Lead interferes with normal brain development and the damage caused by chronic, low-level exposure to lead is sadly permanent. The brains and central nervous systems of young children are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead exposure. Among the damaging effects of childhood lead exposure include decreased intelligence as measured by IQ tests, reduced school performance and behavioral problems, including aggression and violence.
According to the World Health Organization, there is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe.
By applying the “safety first” principle, parents and other toy givers can avoid offering toys that could put children’s health in danger instead of providing them with playthings to support their mental, physical, and social development.
