Seasonal Safety
By Norma Flanagan SAFE Kids of Towns County

In This Season of Recalls, Toy Shoppers Need to be Vigilant. With more than 65 percent of the toys brought between the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas, parents and caregivers are heading into the year's busiest toy-buying season.

*Shoppers need to be even more informed than usual to make sure they buy safe, ageappropriate toys, said Chrissy Cianflone, home safety program manager for Safe Kids Worldwide. "Even though most toys in the U.S. today are considered to be safe, we still need to be vigilant.: Email alerts keep shoppers up-to-date on recalls

Each year, approximately 217,000 toy-related injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide. But on average, only 15 children under the age 14, dies from toy-related injury, most of which are caused by choking on small parts.

To stay informed, Cianflone recommends that parents sign up for emails that will keep them up-to-date on recalls. "It's too difficult to get your information piecemeal from TV or the newspaper," said Cianflone. "so if you get the emails sent to you each time a recall happens, you'll be up-to-the minute and won't have to worry."

To sign up for recall emails, go to www.cpsc.gov and click on Sign up for Email Announcements.

Parents and caregivers shouldn't hesitate to report defects or design features that seem dangerous. "If your child has a close call, the next child might not be so lucky," says Cianflone. "Report safety concerns about toys to the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 800-638-2772 or www.cpsc.gov. Your experience could be part of a pattern that might lead to a recall."

Avoid second-hand toys. Cianflone reminds parents that most toys are safe, but it's best to buy from a reputable retailer. "That doesn't mean you have to go to a 'big box' store, but if you shop a locally-owned toy store, make sure that the owner is aware and vigilant about getting recalled items off the shelves. And avoid used toys, which could have been recalled and not removed from circulation."

"If you buy toys secondhand or get hand-me-downs, visit www.cpsc.gove to make sure the toy hasn't been recalled for safety reasons," says Cianflone.

Identify dangerous small parts. To be sure of a toy's size, use a small parts tester (available in quantity from the Safe Kids Resource Catalog). If you don't have a small parts tester, you can use an empty toilet paper roll. Do not let small children play with anything that can fit into any of these cylinders.

Inspect toys to make sure they are in good repair. Do not let young children play with toys that have straps, cords or strings longer than 7 inches, due to the risk of strangulation.

Actively supervise children. Simply being in the same room as your child is not necessarily supervising. Active supervision means keeping the child in sight and in reach and paying undivided attention.