Choking Hazards Causing Trouble In Toyland

WASHINGTON -- Parent Maria Davila said she avoids buying toys that can be potentially dangerous for her two daughters.

"I usually buy CD-ROMs and puzzles and things that are educational for them," Davila said.

Like many parents, she said she checks labels for age recommendations and warnings, but a public watchdog group said many toys on the market don't have warning labels and could pose a threat to small children.

According to the Public Interest Research Group's 16th annual Trouble In Toyland report, hazardous toys can still be found on store shelves nationwide despite legislation aimed to protect children.

"Every year there are more people, more toys and sometimes more problems," PIRG spokeswoman Emily Stork said.

The number one danger is choking. Most toys with small parts now have choking warnings on the box, but some items, like key chains, fail to show warnings and they could be deadly if they fit into a child's mouth.

But Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Pamela Johnston said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says toys are the safest of 14 categories of products brought into the home.

Johnston said most toy injuries are preventable by better parental supervision.

Authors of the PIRG report found potential hazards by toys during a survey of stores in October and November. PIRG cautioned consumers about toy hazards in five categories:

Choking hazards including balloons

Toxic chemicals

Hearing loss hazards

Scooter dangers

Purchasing toys on the Internet

The PIRG study also discovered that 75 percent of all toy recalls by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 1974 to 2001 were because of choking hazards.

To find out if toys are potentially hazardous, parents can try this test. Take a toilet paper tube and see if the toy fits in it. If it does, it's not safe for a child under age 3.

Choking isn't the only danger, the watchdog group said.

Some soft plastic children's books contain a chemical that the consumer group warns could cause liver and kidney damage if a child chews on the books and the chemical leaches out.

On hearing loss, the PIRG report said a Barney Song Magic Keyboard may cause damage over time. The consumer group said toys with sounds of 85 decibels or more can signficantly affect a child's hearing.

"As a parent, the most important thing is to just be cautious," Stork said.