How to choose the best, safest toys

When I go to the toy store to shop for my grandchildren, I focus mostly on what I think each of them will delight in playing with. But there are important health and safety issues to think about when choosing toys. In the below article, my colleague Dr. Claire McCarthy, outlines some of the things parents and others should think about when choosing toys for their babies and children.

Choking hazards. Choking is the number hazard associated with toys. Children can choke on small toys or on small parts of bigger toys. To prevent choking accidents:

• Follow the age recommendations for toys. If the label says that a toy is meant for ages 3 and up because of small parts, don't buy it for your 1-year-old.
• Think about everyone who might play with a toy. Something that is perfectly safe for an older child could be deadly for a younger one. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't buy that fun toy with small parts for your ten-year-old if you have a toddler in the house — or one who visits a lot. But it does mean that you need to have rules about where the toy is stored and who plays with it.
• Check toys carefully for loose parts.

Strangling and/or entanglement. When toys have things like cords or chains, or when they have moving wheels or other features that can grab hair or clothes and pull hard, bad things can happen. Again, read the labels, use common sense, and supervise your child's play.

Magnets. More and more toys — from building sets to cars to doll clothes — are being made with small magnets, many of which can detach and be swallowed. This can be very dangerous, especially when two magnets in different parts of the intestine attach together, which can lead to holes in the intestine and other serious complications. If you have kids in the house who might put a toy in their mouths, don't buy toys with magnets.

Lead paint. Warnings about the hazard of toys with lead paint on them are all over the news these days. Children, especially small children, tend to put things in their mouths. Putting lead into your mouth, even small amounts, can lead to brain damage. Most of the products recalled and taken off store shelves so far have come from China. But that doesn't mean that all products from China have lead — or that all American products are safe. You can stay up-to-date about toy recalls by signing up for the Consumer Products Safety Commission's (CPSC) e-mail updates.

In general, when you are buying toys, use common sense. That toy sword may not be sharp, but if your daughter is going through a phase where she's hitting everything and everyone around her, is it smart to buy it? Is there a safe place in your house or yard to play with that really cool flying toy your son wants?

No labeling can replace supervision. Children can find dangerous things to do with the safest of toys. Make sure you know what your kids are doing at all times. Better yet, do it with them!

Sometimes the best toys (and cheapest) are items around your house such as spoons, pots and pans, and keys. For some reason toddlers love cell phones (monkey see, monkey do?) but not the plastic ones. Old cell phones are a big hit with toddlers as long as the phone is still intact. And don't overwhelm your kids with toys. Put some away and take them out when boredom is setting in.

With careful shopping, common sense and good supervision, toys can be safe, fun, and good for your child.

Family Health Guide
To take advantage of the latest medical advances, and to deal with the often-confusing world of health care, you need information that is clear, accurate, easily understandable, and accessible. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide brings you the information you need to keep your and your family healthy and to cope with illness when it does strike. 170 faculty members of Harvard Medical School, physicians who care for patients every day, developed this comprehensive guide.

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