| Do you have a toddler on your gift list? If | | | | leading toy makers have had toys recalled. |
| so, remember that small children and infants | | | | Some toys on the recall list include: |
| automatically put items in their mouths. | | | | |
| | | | * Woody Dolls (distributed by Walt Disney |
| Inspect For Safety | | | | Parks and Resorts) -- the doll's buttons can |
| | | | detach and pose a choking hazard for young |
| Safety is the first thing you should check. | | | | children. |
| Toys with small parts are always suspect. | | | | |
| Parts small enough to fit into a tot's mouth | | | | * Little People Animal Sounds Farm (by |
| can be a choking hazard. | | | | Fisher-Price) -- the screws on stall doors |
| | | | can come off, posing a choking or aspiration |
| Plush toys are ideal for small children, but | | | | hazard. One child aspirated a screw into his |
| check the construction. If the eyes, nose, or | | | | lungs, requiring emergency surgery. |
| other small features are not tightly secured, | | | | |
| these items can come off when a child | | | | * Drumsticks sold with toy drum sets (by |
| inevitably chews on it. | | | | Battat Incorporated) -- the end piece of the |
| | | | drumstick handle can break off, and the screw |
| Any toy with a sharp edge is a potential | | | | at the end of the drumstick can detach. Both |
| safety hazard. A child walking or running | | | | pose a choking hazard. |
| with such a toy can fall and be injured by | | | | |
| it. Again, tots like to put things in their | | | | Remove Dangerous Packaging Immediately |
| mouths, so sharp edges could cut their lips, | | | | |
| gums or tongues. | | | | Watch for twist-ties that keep toys secure in |
| | | | their packages. They keep the toy looking |
| Any Electric Or Heating Elements? | | | | good on the shelf, but become a hazard when |
| | | | the toy is removed from the package. Also |
| Only children 8 years of age or over should | | | | check older siblings' toys for them. They |
| receive electric toys with heating elements. | | | | need to be properly discarded to avoid any |
| Don't be tempted to buy these for a younger | | | | danger to a younger child. On Christmas |
| child just because they would be fun to play | | | | morning, you can eliminate a suffocation |
| with. | | | | hazard to your tot by immediately throwing |
| | | | away all plastic wrappings from the toys. |
| Find Out What's Been Recalled | | | | |
| | | | Do Your Research |
| Before setting out on a toy shopping trip, | | | | |
| find out which have been recalled. The U.S. | | | | Popular toys that children are clamoring for |
| Consumer Product Safety Commission can tell | | | | are hard to resist. Just do your research |
| you at or call toll-free (800) 638-2772. You | | | | first. Keep the holidays happy and safe for |
| might be surprised to find that some of the | | | | your children. |