TAMPA, Fla. — With Black Friday just a few days away, many parents will be buying their children some of the newest and hottest toys.
But before you make any purchases, you’re going to want to read this.
Dr. Jasmine Patterson is the medical director of the pediatric emergency department at Tampa General Hospital. She said just last week they had to operate on a 5-year-old boy who swallowed a button battery. She said he’s doing just fine now, but this is an example of how dangerous certain toys can be for your child.
“You know, about 150,000 children across America are admitted to the emergency department. There are deaths sometimes because of faulty toys and products that are on the market,” said U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group released a report called Trouble in Toyland 2024, outlining what you need to pay close attention to this holiday season before buying toys.
Dr. Patterson said to pay attention to smaller toys because choking accounts for most of the injuries they see with children and toys.
“A rule of thumb is anything that’s small enough to fit into a toilet paper tube, may be small enough to fit into your child’s mouth and into their airway and cause choking,” said Dr. Patterson.
Also, consider your child’s age when buying toys that may look edible. “So, water beads absolve water and then they double or triple in size and, so, they’re colorful and look like candy. Children put them in their mouths, swallow them,” said Dr. Patterson.
They also recommend not handing down certain toys. “Because in 2008, there was an act that kind of kept the toxins out of toys, implemented third-party testing for toys. So, some older toys may still have lead in them and be a safety hazard for your child,” Dr. Patterson explained.
The report also highlights toys that have flooded the U.S. market from other countries that don’t have the same regulations. To find out which products are unsafe, click here.
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