Use Caution When Choosing Gifts For Children
December Is Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Before
you stand in interminable lines or drive miles to find that "must-have"
gift, remember to pay attention to not only what is hot but what is safe,
experts say.
Parents and relatives who dote on children spend much of their toy budget in November and December, dropping an average of $350 per year per child on toys, says Colleen McMillen, a spokeswoman for the Toy Industry Association.
An age-appropriate toy can reduce the chances of choking, strangulation, or other hazards, and head off an emergency-room trip.
Experts on safety support Safe Toys and Gifts Month in December.
In the most recent statistics, 25 children in the United States died from toy-related accidents in one year. And 255,100 toy-related injuries were serious enough to warrant treatment at emergency rooms, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Thanks partly to federal oversight, toys have become less risky.
"By and large, there have been improvements in toy safety," says Jennifer Mueller, a spokeswoman for the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups.
Still, accidents can happen.
Parents
Should Watch Children with New Toys
Choking is the most common cause of toy-related injury. At least six children choked to death in one year alone, the CPSC reports.
The agency requires toy manufacturers to meet safety standards and to label certain toys that could be hazardous for young children.
For instance, toys that would be dangerous for young children are required by the CPSC to be labeled with warnings.
A good rule of thumb when buying for children under age three is to pass up anything with a diameter small enough to fit into an empty toilet paper tube, Mueller says.
"That
should be considered a choke hazard for young kids. That tube is about
the size the Consumer Product Safety Commission uses
in its tests," she adds.
If a
child is under age three, avoid marbles, small balls, and games with balls
that have a diameter of 1.75 inches or less. And do not buy toys with
sharp edges or points.
Also, beware of balloons. Broken balloons are particularly dangerous because
they can block a child's airway if swallowed.
"Every single
year we have found balloons marketed to young children," Mueller says.
To further
minimize risks, shoppers should pay attention to warning labels. Parents
often think their child is smarter than the average three-year-old, so
they buy an advanced toy and ignore the label, Mueller says: "Even smart
kids still put things in their mouth."
McMillen
agrees that many accidents happen because the toy is inappropriate for
the age of the child, or the parent is not paying attention while the
child is playing with it.
"We always
stress parent involvement and supervision while playing," she says.
Look for Dangerous Materials; Buy Protective Gear
The task of
vigilance can get tricky because not all toys may appear in stores with
labels. That is especially true of toys tossed into a bin, unpackaged.
There's nothing wrong with buying them, Mueller says, but check for loose
or small parts that could choke a child.
For children
aged three to five, avoid toys made of thin, brittle plastic, the
CPSC suggests. If you're buying art materials, look for
a label that says ASTM D-4236. This means a toxicologist has reviewed
the material and, if necessary, added a caution label.
For older
children, bicycles, scooters, skateboards and inline skates should come
with protective gear. Give a CPSC-approved helmet with
a bike; a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads with a scooter or a skateboard;
and a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards with inline skates.
Finally,
if buying older children a toy gun, pick one that is brightly colored,
or at least has a brightly colored barrel. That way it will not be mistaken
for a real gun, the CPSC says.
Always
consult your child's physician for more information.
Online
Resources
American
Academy of Pediatrics
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Consumer
Product Safety Commission
National
Association of State Public Interest Research Groups
National
Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases
National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
National
Library of Medicine, at NIH
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December 2003
In This
Issue:
Use
Caution When Choosing Gifts For Children
Parents
Should Watch Children with New Toys
Look
for Dangerous Materials; Buy Protective Gear
Sinusitis
Can Cause Problems For Children
Effective
Treatment Suggested
Online
Resources
Other
Resources:
Find
a St. John's Mercy Physician
Children's
Services at St. John's Mercy
Children's
Health Information
St.
John's Mercy Classes and Programs
Sinusitis Can Cause Problems For Children
The next time your child
complains of a runny nose, headache, and fatigue, you may have to reach
for more than cold medication.
It could be the
common chronic problem of sinusitis, a condition that is usually associated
with adults.
"It is as common
in children as in adults, and when sinus problems get worse, asthma and
bronchial problems get worse," says Dr. Jordan Josephson, a New York City
otolaryngologic surgeon who specializes in pediatric care.
Sinusitis is characterized
by inflammation of the nasal passages. It can be caused by any number
of problems, from a cold to allergies to an infection, experts say.
The inflammation
narrows the nasal passages so mucus cannot drain properly, causing discomfort
and occasionally an infection can develop.
Children can
be particularly susceptible to sinus problems because their sinuses are
not fully formed until age 12, and their sinuses are narrower than
an adult's.
If you factor
in any allergies a child might have - as well as environmental triggers
like secondhand smoke, air pollution, and exposure to bacteria - that
child's susceptibility to sinusitis increases, Dr. Josephson says.
Telltale signs
of possible sinusitis in a child include a frequent runny nose with yellow
mucus, pain near the cheeks or eye areas, and difficulty staying awake
in school, Dr. Josephson says.
Sinusitis in children
can produce emotional problems such as irritability. But a child
is often unable to convey a sense of discomfort to a physician, says
Dr. Alexander Chester, an internist at Georgetown University Medical Center.
"It can be really
tough for kids who feel poorly but whose illness is not validated by doctors
or parents," Dr. Chester says.
Effective
Treatment Suggested
Left
untreated, sinusitis can become chronic, lasting for anywhere from three
to eight weeks, to months or even years, according to the National
Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases.
Parents
should be alert to potential sinusitis symptoms in their children and
seek out a physicians help.
"If a
cold lasts for 72 hours or less, it's nothing to worry about," says Dr.
Josephson.
"But
if a child has a runny nose all the time and is home sick once a month,
if he's falling asleep in school, getting bad grades or taking his hand
and rubbing it up his nose because he can't get relief, you shouldn't
dismiss these symptoms," he says.
A pediatrician
can prescribe a nasal spray and/or antibiotics if there is a bacterial
infection, Dr. Josephson says.
"If after
two to four weeks the child isn't better, he or she needs to see a specialist,"
he adds.
Always
consult your child's physician for more information.
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