Parents warned of safety hazards of some toys

Christina Littlefield and David Kihara

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004 | 11:27 a.m.

Toy buyers beware.

That's the message from two national groups this holiday season, both of which have released reports listing allegedly unsafe toys on the market this week.

The national consumer advocacy group U.S. Public Interest Research Group released its 19th annual toy safety report Tuesday warning shoppers to watch out for toys that have small parts that young children can choke on, cords that can cause strangulation, loud toys that can cause hearing damage and toxic chemicals in items such as children's nail polish.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission similarly released a Top Ten list on Monday warning parents about safety hazards in some toys currently still on the shelves.

"As consumers browse shopping malls this holiday season, they should be aware of the hidden dangers of toys," Brad Johnson, Western states field associate for U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said.

In 2003 more than 200,000 children received medical treatment in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries and more than one-third of those injured were under five, according to the "Trouble in Toyland" report. Eleven children died because of toy-related injuries.

"Even one toy-related death is too many because these deaths are preventable," Johnson said.

Dr. Sarraf Edmond, a pediatrician at Wee Care Pediatrics and Summerlin Medical Center, said he sees a case almost every week in which a child has swallowed something and he has to surgically remove it. Sometimes the parts get stuck in the esophagus or even in the lungs.

Because children under 3 have an affinity for sticking things in their mouths, ears or noses, Edmond recommended that care givers keep all small items out of their reach, including coins and especially medications.

"Just general common sense will go a long way to preventing injury," Edmond said.

Parents and others who take care of children should read warning labels and be careful of any small parts that easily break off, Edmond and Johnson each said. Small balls can be extremely dangerous because the round shape blocks the airway more, Johnson said.

Parents can use an empty toilet paper roll to easily test items, Johnson said. If it fits into the roll, it's too small for a child under 3 to play with, and even older children should be carefully watched when handling it.

Parents should also read and obey warning labels and be careful to keep older children's toys away from their younger siblings, Johnson said.

The warnings are ones Henderson resident Karl Matthews said he knows well.

Standing outside of a KB Toy Store off Eastern Avenue and the Interstate 215 as he unwrapped a new toy Tyrannosaurus Rex for his 3-year-old son Jaymin, Matthews said he and his wife carefully monitor every toy they buy for their kids.

Matthews said he reads the labels and personally tests the toys out to make sure no small parts can come off.

"I do the same thing with his toys as I do with the Halloween candy," said Matthews, who is also father to 11-year-old twins.

But while he can control what he buys, he said he does worry about the toys others buy his children for birthdays and holidays.

Because not all shoppers read the warning labels, one particular toy Johnson's organization wants banned is the yo-yo water ball. Kids often have the strength to swing the ball around, but not the dexterity to control it, Johnson said. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has received nearly 400 injury reports on the toy as of October, Johnson said, but have not yet banned the yo-yo as other countries have.

The United States also has not banned toxic chemicals such as xylene, a synthetic chemical produced from petroleum, and has not banned dibutyl phthalate, which is known to cause birth defects. Those chemicals can be found in such things as children's nail polish, Johnson said. And while the American Society for Testing and Materials has published recommended noise volume limits for children's toys, those decibel levels are still loud enough to cause hearing problems in some cases, Johnson said.

"While most manufacturers comply with the law, parents should not assume that all toys on store shelves are safe or adequately labeled," Johnson said.

The following is a list of the products recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: