Ever worry about what toys may or may not be safe for your children? Well the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has you covered. The organization released its 27th annual Trouble in Toyland report on Tuesday, outlining what parents should look out for when purchasing gifts this holiday season including Black Friday this week.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, Nasima Hossain, Public Health Advocate for PIRG, said, "We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that's the case, parents need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys."
According to PIRG, Trouble in Toyland revealed the results of lab testing on toys for certain toxins, which could have harmful effects on children's health. In its testing, PIRG found one toy-a Morphobot action figure-which exceeded the 100 ppm lead standard. The advocacy group also found several toys that exceeded the American Academy of Pediatric's lead limit of 40 ppm.
Trouble in Toyland also analyzed toys for phthalates, "a group of chemicals used to soften and increase the flexibility of plastic and vinyl." While PIRG found no toys that exceeded the federal phthalates limits, it did find several toys that did not meet disclosure requirements under Washington Sate law.
The annual report also found toys that posed choking hazards, threatened hearing or magnetic toys that may cause injuries. According to the results, play food sets; small dragster cars and a bowling game were all listed as choking hazards. Similarly, a Dora the Explorer guitar, driving wheel dashboard and a toy key chain rattle were found to be too loud for children under three years old.
The study also focuses on magnets in toys for both young children and teenagers. One two that was found to be hazardous due to its magnet was Snake Eggs, which was listed as a toy for ages 4 and up.
In the advocacy group's press release, Dr. Bryan Rudolph, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow at Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York, said, "The rising number of magnet injuries in children and teenagers suggests that the sale of high-powered magnets should be prohibited. In the meantime, the best defense against high-powered magnet ingestion and a trip to the emergency department is to make sure they are not present where children, live, visit or play."
In order to help parents during their holiday shopping, PIRG has provided a website listing recalled toys as well as safe toy shopping tips. Consumers can access the website on their smartphones by visiting www.toysafety.mobi.
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