Dangerous Toys for Infants

Toys become a choking hazard if their small parts fall off.

Parents put great effort into finding toys for their babies that will be educational and safe. However, many toys available in stores carry risks parents might be unaware of. Between Oct. 1, 2009 and Oct. 30, 2010, 5.8 million toys and children's products were recalled in the United States and Canada because they posed choking risks. The potential for choking is just one reason why a toy can be unsafe. There are several kinds of dangerous toys parents with babies should avoid.

Small Parts

Toys that are too small or have small parts that can break off during play are dangerous because infants can choke on, inhale or swallow them. The Consumer Product Safety Commission defines a hazardous "small part" as toys and toy parts that can fit into a cylinder with an interior diameter of 1.25 inches and an interior depth between 1 and 2.25 inches -- about the size of a 3-year-old's throat. This definition includes many small balls, crayons--since they easily break into swallowable pieces--and toys with buttons a baby can pull off.

Suffocation Hazards

Toys with strings or cords should be kept out of baby's reach to prevent strangulation. Necklaces, strings on mobiles and even stretchy ribbons for tying pacifiers on can wrap around a baby's neck, causing injury or death. According to the CPSC, balloons suffocate more children than any other toy, partially due to the material's ability to cut off breathing by attaching to a child's throat and lungs. Babies can suffocate if they swallow uninflated balloons or pieces of popped balloons while chewing on them.

Dangerous Materials

Many toys contain high levels of toxins that can injure a baby if chewed on or swallowed. Moderate exposure to lead can result in lowered IQ, hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating. In 2007, millions of toys were recalled due to high levels of lead in the paint, and a 4-year-old boy died after swallowing a bracelet charm determined to contain 99 percent lead by weight. Small magnets that fall out of toys or are contained in small toy parts pose more risks. At least 33 children required emergency surgery and one died after swallowing magnets, primarily due to the magnets puncturing their intestines.

Broken Toys

Broken toys can injure infants and should be immediately thrown away. While current toy regulations require that toys for children under 8 be made without glass or metal edges, toys that break can produce sharp edges that can cut a baby's skin or eyes. Loose or torn pieces on toys can be small enough to fit in a baby's mouth and pose a choking hazard. Some broken toys reveal sharp prongs or wires that can stab and gouge.

Baby Walkers

New safety standards imposed for baby walkers reduced the number of walker-related injuries in the United States by 90 percent between 1992 and 2005. However, in 2005, walkers still caused 2,600 injuries. Babies in walkers can tumble down the stairs, fall into a bathtub and drown or reach items that can burn or poison them. Walkers allow babies to move more than three feet in a second, so even if parents are nearby, there might not be time to prevent an accident.

References

• U.S. PIRG; Trouble in Toyland: The 25th Annual Survey of Toy Safety; Nov. 23, 2010
• Consumer Product Safety Commission; Age Determination Guidelines: Relating Children's Ages To Toy Characteristics and Play Behavior; James A. Therrell, et al.; September 2002
• Consumer Product Safety Commission: Strings, Cords and Necklaces Can Strangle Infants
• Consumer Product Safety Commission: CPSC Warns Consumers of Suffocation Danger Associated with Children's Balloons
• "Pediatrics;" Lead Exposure in Children: Prevention, Detection and Management; October 2005
• Public Interest Network; Trouble in Toyland: The 25th Annual Survey of Toy Safety; November 2010

Resources

• Consumer Product Safety Commission; Small Magnets Are Injuring Children; Apr. 19, 2007
• Consumer Product Safety Commission: For Kids' Sake -- Think Toy Safety
• Consumer Product Safety Commission: Voluntary Standard and Code Activities -- Infant Walkers
• Healthy Children; Baby Walkers: A Dangerous Choice; December 2010