How Safe Are Your Child’s Toys?

The most recent children’s toy study titled “Toy-Related Deaths and Injuries for 2010“ by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released in October 2011, covers the latest data and statistics for toy-related deaths and injuries. While some of the leading toys for injuries and deaths seem somewhat obvious, the numbers are still shocking and some parents may want to reconsider before purchasing certain toys for their children.  It is noted in the study that many of the incidents that were reported were associated with a toy but not necessarily caused by the toy.

In 2010, there were seventeen reports of toy-related deaths among children ages 0-15 years. Eight of these deaths, which amounted to 47%, were associated with balloons or small balls (5 and 3 deaths respectively). This is a drastic change compared to the previous year that saw the majority of fatalities associated with riding toys. Of the five deaths that came from balloons, four of the victims were under the age of 5 and they died from asphyxiation due to choking on the balloon. The fifth death was due to asphyxiation from a helium balloon that ruptured and covered a six-year-olds head and face. The three deaths from small rubber balls all were due to choking and all the product liability victims were under the age of 3 years. The rest of the list involved the following toy categories:

In 2010, Asphyxiation was one of the leading causes for child deaths associated with toys, mainly because many toys have small parts and are not intended for children under certain ages.

2010 also saw more than 251,000 toy-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms. A substantial 45% of the injuries were classified as “lacerations, contusions, or abrasions” and 46% of all injuries were to the head or face areas. The second most injured area of the body were the arms, including the hands and fingers that accounted for fifty-five thousand injuries.  The biggest culprit for toy-related injuries for children under the age of fifteen was the “non-motorized scooter” claiming twenty-four percent of all injuries. Accidents in which children fell and were struck by a motor vehicle were major contributors to injuries sustained from nonmotorized scooters.

The CPSC released a few tips for parents after gathering information for their study. Since scooters and other riding toys are highly popular, it is recommended that children wear helmets and the proper safety gear and ensure that it is properly fitted. It is also a good a idea to always be aware of where your child is playing, busy streets have a high probability of accidents involving automobiles and are generally an unsafe playing area for children. Small balls and toys that have small parts should not be given to children younger than the age of three since they are a choking hazard. Balloons pose the same threat since they can become deflated or broken and easily choked on by children younger than age eight.

Is the solution here to avoid all toys at all costs? The answer is obviously no, we are not saying that all toys are dangerous, but it is important for parents to select toys that are age appropriate for their children. Many manufactures have their own symbols to denote what age their products are suitable for, but all toys sold in the United States will have a clearly marked label on the package to help parents choose the right toys for their children.

In the unfortunate event that you or a loved one has been injured or affected by a dangerous toy and it is possible that the manufacturer is at fault, we recommend that you contact a product liability lawyer to get your family the settlement they deserve and to ensure that it does not happen to anyone else. Do not hesitate to report an unsafe toy as this may help prevent future injuries as well.