Leading this list are toys containing magnets and toys that can cause hearing loss.
Magnets
Toys containing small powerful magnets can be dangerous if swallowed
If a child swallows more than one, the magnets can stick together inside their bodies and cause internal damage.
"Magnet toys are much stronger than they have been in the past, and therefore pose a greater health risk, especially to young children because they routinely put toys in their mouths," Fish a program associate with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, said.
A 2-year-old child suffered intestinal tears in January after swallowing 62 rare earth magnets, the report found.
Between 2009 and 2011 there were 1,700 emergency room visits following the ingestion of magnets. More than 70 percent of those cases involved children between ages 4 and 12.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP have shown that magnet ingestions have led to dozens of bowel surgeries and other serious gastrointestinal injuries as a result of young children swallowing magnets.
Parents should also be aware of products sold as adult "stress relief" desk toys, they can contain small round magnets that a child can take apart.
If you suspect your child swallowed a magnet
- Stay calm
- Seek medical help immediately
Noisy Toys
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association parents may think that noise is a problem they need not worry about until their child reaches the teenage years. Not so.
Some toys are so loud that they can cause hearing damage in children. Some toy sirens and squeaky rubber toys can emit sounds of 90 dB, as loud as a lawn mower. Workers would have to wear ear protection for similarly noisy sounds on the job.
The danger with noisy toys is greater than the 90-dB level implies. When held directly to the ear, as children often do, a noisy toy actually exposes the ear to as much as 120 dB of sound, the equivalent of a jet plane taking off. Noise at this level is painful and can result in permanent hearing loss.
Toys that pose a noise danger include:
- cap guns
- talking dolls
- vehicles with horns and sirens
- walkie-talkies
- musical instruments
- toys with cranks Parents who have normal hearing need to inspect toys for noise danger.
Parents who have normal hearing need to inspect toys for noise danger.
Before purchasing a new toy, listen to it. If the toy sounds loud, don't buy it.
Examine toys you already have at home. Remove the batteries or discard the toys if they are too noisy and pose a potential danger to hearing. Some parents place heavy duct tape over the speakers on noisy toys.
