With annual toy-related injuries to children topping a quarter-million cases nationwide, it pays to be cautious when selecting age-appropriate toys for your little ones, the pediatric department of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O'Fallon said in a release.
While the 254,200 child injuries cited in a 2015 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report may seem alarming, doctors warn that many of those injuries can be prevented by sticking to guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“This makes it more likely the toy will engage the child – and reduces the risk it could cause injury,” Dr. Chauncey Tarrant of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital said in the release.
Dr. Chauncey Tarrant
| Hospital Sisters Health System
Over the past decade, figures show toy makers are becoming more diligent, as the number of toy recalls has dropped from 172 in 2008 to just 24 in 2016, the release noted.
The hospital listed a number of parameters to check for, like making sure the toys for younger and older children are kept separate, avoiding toys with small parts that could pose a choking threat and eliminating toys with toxic chemicals.
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital offers around-the-clock availability to treat children who may become injured by defective or inappropriate toys, the release said.
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