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Articles
Don't Let Toys Harm
You, Play Safe
by
Dr. Anjana Maitra
 Down the
ages children all over the world have been playing with a wide variety of toys,
ranging from the crude dolls of ancient times to the modern sophisticated
gadgets available today. The market is flooded with a plethora of toys which can
provide hours of fun and pleasure. However, you should be aware of that there
are some seemingly harmless toys that can cause severe injury to you if you are
not careful.
A badly made toy can
cause untold harm to a child and may even cost him his life. Though no
statistics are available on the subject, but each year several hundred children
are brought to harm by their own playthings.
Soon after the
mythological mega tele serials ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’ were aired on TV,
children all over India started to play with bows and arrows. Sadly many of them
were the victims of tragic accidents, some even losing an eye in the process.
Plasticine, which is
used to mould different shapes by children, is reported to have choked many a
kid, when he carelessly puts it in his mouth. Buttons (the ‘eyes’ or ‘nose’ of
the cute cuddly stuffed toy) may also get accidentally lodged in the nose, ear
or mouth. Small parts of other toys, including the ‘keys’ of mechanical toys may
also be dangerous in this way.
The heavy weights:
Small toys made of metal or solid wood are often very heavy and when a small
child is unable to hold it in his hands for long, he may hurl it at his
siblings. This may cause grave injuries including deep cuts and gashes, a black
eye or even a concussion.
Sharp edges:
Toys with sharp edges can damage the sensitive skin of a child. In many cases it
can injure his eye. Broomstick toys are a big culprit in this respect. These are
usually bought from the balloon or ‘chakri’ sellers in parks or beaches.
Rattles and plastic toys:
Rattles which contain small ‘stones’ which make a noise are often broken by an
inquisitive child, and he may inadvertently swallow the stone or put it in his
ear or nose. Play things made of thin celluloid (hard plastic) crack and break
quickly and the sharp edges can scrape the eye. Marbles, seemingly harmless,
have also caused several severe accidents including choking, blocking of the
nose, ear etc.
The gun toting kid:
Most boys like to play with guns and pretend they are soldiers shooting down the
enemy. However parents should refrain from buying those toy guns which shoot
little pellets and darts, as these can harm another child. It is better to go in
for those guns which make a noise but don’t eject anything.
Balls:
A small child playing with a ball should always be supervised. Children often
blindly run after a ball without thinking and many children have been run over
by a passing car in this way. My friend’s son had a brain injury when he fell
off the balcony while going after his ball.
Tin toys:
Most of the tin toys like cars, buses, clowns with drums, soldiers, toy kitchen
utensils, guns etc are made of inferior quality tin. What’s more, below the
brightly exterior paint, the tin is rusted. So when it scrapes a child’s skin,
it is extremely dangerous. Also, most of the tin toys are badly made and curious
fingers often pry open the edges or joints, causing painful injuries.
Stuffed toys:
The cute stuffed toys may be harmful to your child if he is allergic to the
synthetic fur; he may even develop asthma. Also the stuffed toys attract a lot
of dust and since small kids often lick or suck their toys, this is dangerous as
well. Also the buttons (eyes, nose etc) may get dislodged and go into the
child’s ear, nose etc.
Paint problem:
The bright paint on colorful metal and wooden toys can be a source of poisoning.
The enamel paint often used is lead-based, has vegetable pigments and
petroleum-derived solvents.
Age factor:
Parents should keep in mind the age
factor while buying toys. Most good toy companies mark their toys with the
suitable age group (eg 3-5 years), but ordinary ones may not. For example while
a Board game like Ludo or Chinese Checkers will bring hours of pleasure to an
older child, a two year old would prefer to put the colourful dice and markers
in his mouth and get choked in the process.
Toys travel:
A toy picks up germs everywhere – right from the factory to the shop, to our
home (when it lies on the floor, under the bed or in the cupboard) or when it
travels with the child to the doctor’s chamber, railway station or airport.
These germs are transmitted to the child when he plays with it and may cause
untold harm.
Balloon blues:
The rubber of balloons if swallowed sticks like glue to the throat and may gag
or choke a child.
Broken toys:
Jagged ends, exposed springs and hinges, stuffing which spills out and exposed
and broken ends may be quite dangerous.
Remedies and tips for parents:
-
Choose toys
appropriate for the child’s age.
-
Give washable
toys to very small children.
-
Before buying
metal toys, check carefully for any sharp or ragged edges which may injure
the child.
-
Always supervise
a child playing with fireworks during Diwali.
-
Avoid giving bows
and arrows and catapults to kids.
-
Pad up the end of
broomstick toys with a hanky or a tape.
-
After a birthday
party clear up all the balloon pieces which may be lying around.
-
If your child
wheezes or sneezes while playing with a particular toy, remove it at once.
-
Don’t hoard
broken toys; the faster you dump them the safer will your child be.
November 19, 2006
Image under license with Gettyimages.com
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