Emergency Physicians Share Seasonal Safety Tips
The American College of Emergency Physicians came out with seasonal safety tips Tuesday, and a Maryland trauma official said the guidelines should be practiced year-round.
Last year, 210,000 people were treated in emergency departments for toy-related injuries, and three quarters of those patients were children under five, statistics show.
In late November, six million personalized necklaces and zipper pulls were recalled because of dangerous amounts of lead that could be toxic if swallowed, according to ACEP officials.
People are encouraged to read the labels before they buy a toy or game for a child.
"Parents need to supervise their child playing with toy, game or stuffed animal," said Dr. Robert Bass, executive director of Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems in Baltimore.
Dr. Bass said everyone needs to be aware of the dangers that toys can pose. Children are very resourceful, and can usually figure out how to take things apart. It's also important that younger kids aren't allowed to play with items geared toward older youths.
He said since younger children tend to put everything in their mouths, their toys should never have buttons or removable parts.
The ACEP guidelines suggest special supervision be given to youths riding scooters or other vehicles. Helmets and kneepads should always be worn.
Other tips include:
- Don't buy toys with strings or cords that can cause strangulation. Mobiles above cribs should be removed once the child can push up on knees and hands.
- Avoid toys that shoot small objects or include parts that fly off, which can cause cuts and eye injuries.
- Make sure the lid of a toy box stays open in all positions. It should have holes to prevent suffocation just in case the child falls in.
- Plastic packaging should be thrown away properly.
A list of recalled toys can be found at www. cpsc.gov.
