The holiday season is fun for many reasons – not the least of which is the joy it brings to the children in our lives. This season is also a time when many of us are buying toys for our kids and grandkids.
But buyer beware…
Researchers from the Center for Injury and Research Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio just released a study in the journal Clinical Pediatrics analyzing 1990-2011 data from the U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
What they found… toy-related injuries among children (infants to adolescents) has jumped 40% in the past 20 years. In fact – every three (3) minutes a child has treated in an emergency room in America for a toy-related injury. More than 50% of these injuries occurred with children under the age of five.
What toys are major culprits in injuries to children?
Foot-powered scooters are a real danger.
These toys are the leading reason for the big jump. From 2000 – when this riding toy was first introduced – to today – a child goes to the emergency room every 11 minutes for injuries occurring while using these scooters (over 580,000 cases in just ten years). Researchers also found that injuries involving riding toys in general (foot-powered scooters, tricycles, and wagons) were three times more likely to be of a serious nature – causing broken bones and dislocations.
Small toys are often a choking hazard.
With small children, toys with small pieces that can be swallowed or inhaled account for most of the injuries – on average about 14 per day across the U.S.
A few tips on buying safe toys:
- Always, always buy age-appropriate toys.
- Carefully choose toys for younger children that do not have parts that can be easily swallowed or inhaled.
- If you must buy a foot-powered scooter – make sure that their use is supervised and that helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads are provided. Also, be sure to select a riding area that is flat and free from debris that might cause a rider to fall.
If your child is ever injured as a result of a defective toy or any other defective product, call a qualified Connecticut personal injury lawyer. A knowledgeable and well trained personal injury lawyer can help you protect your rights and those of your child.
For almost 60 years, the Connecticut personal injury attorneys at RisCassi & Davis have been working hard to protect our clients. Please contact us if we can help you.
See here for more details on the study: http://www.newsweek.com/every-three-minutes-child-sustains-toy-related-injury-study-288299