ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – Every year, toy-related injuries land hundreds of thousands of children in emergency rooms across the country, and according to a new report from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), hundreds of toys surveyed this year pose significant chemical and choking risks to children.
Some of the bigger toy problems highlighted in the report include unsafe levels of lead, chromium and phthalates, as well as choking hazards that come from small parts such as balls, balloons, batteries and magnets.
"When the children eat the magnets, often they get swallowed separately and then they're going to find each other in the intestines and the stomach, and they'll pull together and they'll eat their way right through the lining of the stomach or the intestines," said Dr. Joseph Perno, Emergency Medicine Physician at All Children's Hospital.
Parents can lower their child's risk of toy-related injuries by taking steps that include paying attention to the age guidelines listed on toys. Researchers also said parents can test the safety of small parts on toys by dropping them down an empty toilet paper tube. If it can fall down the tube, experts say it is small enough for the child to choke.
"It just goes to show it's so important that you know where your kid is [and] what she or he is playing with," said Alizza Punzalan-Randale, a mother to a toddler.
The PIRG encourages parents to subscribe government announcements of recalled products at www.recalls.gov. The full "Trouble in Toyland" report can be found here.
