With the holidays around the corner, parents, family and friends are beginning to shop for the perfect gifts for the children in their lives. It is important to make informed purchase decisions for toys and other gifts.
Before you tackle any cyber sales or purchase in-store deals, be sure to follow these safety recommendations to keep your child safe year-round:
1. Purchase well-made toys that secure batteries
Always purchase toys that are secured with a screw and require a tool to open the battery compartment. This prevents dangers from any loose pieces or batteries.
2. Read the labels
Choose toys that are appropriate for the child’s age and always look for any pieces that may be a hazard.
3. Include safety gear
Keep children safe by providing helmets with any riding toys that you purchase such as bicycles, e-bikes, hoverboards, scooters, skates and skateboards.
4. Inspect toys
Inspect a toy prior to gifting to ensure that there are not any broken or small pieces, as well as sharp edges.
5. Be careful with magnets
Avoid purchasing magnet sets with small pieces. Children can easily put these small pieces in their mouths. If a child swallows more than one magnet, they can attract each other and forcefully pull your child’s digestive system together leading to serious injuries.
6. Complete and submit product registration cards
When you submit your registration card, you allow the manufacturer to notify you about a recall.
7. Always provide supervision
The holidays bring together families and friends with children of various ages and developmental levels. Supervise to ensure toys intended for older children do not end up in the hands of the younger children. Be aware that toys often break when they are dropped or mishandled.
8. Stay informed on product recalls
Visit Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to register for email alerts.
Mark Molitor, MD, a pediatric surgeon at Phoenix Children’s, offers some important toy safety recommendations to make families aware of the hidden dangers of toys, specifically button batteries. Adults may not be aware that button batteries can be found in items such as ornaments, lighted decorations, flameless tea light candles, holiday greeting cards and children’s books. Button batteries also are used in lighted holiday jewelry, headbands, sweaters and other clothing with lights. You can also find them in many household items such as thermometers, watches, calculators, remote controls and more.
Dr. Molitor shares, “When a child swallows a button battery, the battery can get stuck in the esophagus. This could result in a caustic injury to the esophagus causing infection, internal bleeding, serious burn injuries or even death.” These injuries can occur quickly and cause burning in as little as two hours.
If a toy requires a battery be sure to:
- Always store batteries out of reach for young children, preferably in a locked cabinet.
- Never leave batteries out on counters or tables, or in low cabinets or drawers.
If you suspect that your child ingested a battery, do not delay care. It is important that children be taken right away to a local emergency department for treatment. For further support you can contact the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666.
The symptoms of battery ingestion can occur quickly. Symptoms to look for include:
- High fever
- Difficulty swallowing
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Difficulty breathing
- Pain in the throat, chest or stomach
The next time that you are out shopping for the perfect gift, remember to follow these toy safety recommendations and never leave children unattended around batteries of any size.
Learn more about childhood injury prevention.
