When Toy Shopping, Consider Safety First As the holiday season approaches and consumers venture out to find the perfect gift for the children on their list, they should shop with safety in mind. "The excitement of a new toy can turn tragic if adults do not factor safety into their gift-giving traditions," said Martha Collar, coordinator of the Oklahoma SAFE KIDS Coalition. "Parents should consider whether the toy is appropriate for the child’s age and whether the gift requires accessories such as protective gear." Last year approximately 212,400 children sustained toy related-injures and 13 fatalities were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Although these numbers are down somewhat from the previous year, consumers should continue to shop with safety in mind. Although the Child Safety Protection Act, a federal law that went into effect in 1995, requires manufacturers to place warning labels on toys in, or imported into the United States that may cause choking in young children, parents should still pay attention to inconspicuous toys such as small balls, marbles and uninflected balloons. "Parents should know that they can’t depend entirely on the government or toy manufacturers to keep their child safe. Parents should still use their own good judgment in selecting toys. Don’t assume that just because it’s on the market it’s safe," said Collar, adding that the CPSC only tests about 1 percent of all toys and of those tested toys about one-sixth are so unsafe that a voluntary recall may be required. When selecting a toy for your child it is important to avoid the following: · Toys with small, removable parts. These are hazardous particularly to children under age 3, due to the risk of choking. · Toys with sharp points or edges. These may enable children to unintentionally cut or stab themselves or someone else. · Toys with strings, straps or cords longer than 7 inches. Long strings and cords could wrap around a baby or young child’s neck and strangle him or her. · Toys that produce loud noises. Toy guns and high-volume portable cassette recorders can permanently harm a child’s hearing. · Propelled toys. These should have soft, non-removable ends to prevent eye injury. · Electrical toys. These pose a potential burn hazard to children and should be saved for a child who is at least 8 years old. Parents should also watch out for toys that can be purchased online. In an analysis of 45 online toy retailers, none posted the warnings required to appear on in-store products, and only two of the 45 included any safety labeling at all, and even these were not posted consistently. Some toys sold on the internet may be manufactured by companies that do not comply with U.S. toy regulations. Another way to make a child’s environment safer is to stay current on recalled products. The CPSC recalls thousands of unsafe products each year, including toys and children’s products. Many consumers, however, do not find out about recalled products. One way to do this is to sign up for the CPSC’s e-mail updates on newly recalled products at www.cpsc.gov. Parents can also check out the CPSC’s archive of old recalls on their Web site. The Oklahoma SAFE KIDS Coalition is a program of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center, and OU Children’s Physicians.