Dangerous Baby Toys

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its most recent product recall for dangerous baby toys on February 25. The recall mentions a mobile and rattle set intended for babies that violates the U.S. federal lead paint standard. This was a cheap toy, sold in dollar stores for as little as $1. However, more upscale stores sell dangerous baby toys as well. On February 19, Old Navy recalled nine stuffed toys that were sold during the holiday season. The toys have button eyes, and the buttons can detach and cause a choking hazard for small children. On February 17, a major baby toy and product manufacturer, Evenflo, recalled an activity center that had a faulty end cap. The end cap could dislodge, and the child using it could fall. Although most of the reported injuries were minor bumps and bruises, one child in Canada did break a collarbone.

The sheer number of toy recalls may seem overwhelming for parents of new babies, but there is a way to keep track of toy recalls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a page on their site that allows parents to look up recalls by time period, product type, and type of hazard. The CPSC also offers RSS feeds of their most recently issued alerts, as well as informative podcasts that talk about recent product hazards in more detail.

Dangerous baby toys are only recalled when parents notice that the toys are dangerous, and there will always be someone that is the first to notice a hazardous toy. Following a few simple toy safety guidelines will help parents keep their babies safe, even before a recall is issued for a dangerous toy.

When a baby receives a toy, parents should carefully inspect it before giving it to the child. This caution also applies to homemade baby toys as well. The toy should be completely removed from its packaging, and any packaging that doesn't have important information on it should be thrown away. Check the toy first for any damage or broken parts. Jagged plastic pieces could cut or scrape a baby's delicate skin. It's also important to check the toy for loose parts that could pose a choking hazard. Pull on buttons; tug on stuffed animal ears. Babies show no mercy to their toys, and concerned parents shouldn't either. Also, the toy should be briefly checked each time the baby plays with it to check for damage or loose parts, and should be discarded if it has any damage.

Those little booklets that come with toys are more than something for dads to ignore as they put a toy together. Instruction manuals usually contain important safety information, as well as directions on how the product can be safely used. Read the instructions carefully, and note any necessary cleaning or maintenance procedures for the toy. Even toys as simple as a teething ring usually comes with a few safety warnings and recommendations. Some instruction manuals also list contact information for the toy manufacturer, and may contain information on how to order replacement parts or a whole new toy. Manufacturer contact information is also useful for reporting safety concerns, and should be used if the toy proves to be dangerous. File instruction manuals away, and keep until the toy is discarded. If you decide to hand the toy down to a friend or family member's child, hand down the instructions along with it.

Many older siblings are fascinated by baby toys. They love to regress to a simpler time and play with the rattles, teething rings, and stacking toys that they outgrew years ago. However, older siblings are much more likely to misuse a baby toy or subject it to more wear and tear than the toy can take. Keep the baby's toys in a separate area, and only let older kids play with the baby and her toys under adult supervision. Teach older children that any broken toy needs to be given to a parent immediately, and not played with.

Good parental supervision is the best protection against unsafe toys, and parents who inspect toys and read the instructions for their use are doing their babies a favor. Parents can also keep track of toy recalls with the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website. Dangerous baby toys don't have to be a worry for today's informed parents, as long as parents follow these common sense safety principles.

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