Water beads are a growing safety concern
Hundreds of thousands of children are treated at hospitals every year after something goes wrong with a toy.
Hospital emergency departments treated around 231,700 toy-related injuries in 2023 for children aged 14 and younger, and an average of 226,300 toy-related injuries per year between 2016 and 2023, according to the latest figures from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The CPSC cautions thatthe toys are associated with the injuries and not necessarily the cause.
There was a 5% jumpin toy-related injuries in 2023 from 2022, but due to a decline from 2016 and 2020, the CPSC said the increaseisn't statistically significant.
Heads and faces were the most commonly harmed body region, accounting for 45% of the toy-related injuries, the CPSC said.
Injuries that required hospital attention were more common among certain age groups: 67% were for children 12 years of age and younger and 36% for children aged 4 and younger.
But the frequency of the toy-related injuries among age groups shows that the youngest children are more likely to go to the hospital.
Among children aged 4 and younger, 454 per 100,000 childrenhad to be treated at a hospital from a toy-related injury in 2023, which is the second-highest year on record since 2016.
That compares to 284 toy-related injuries per 100,000 children aged 14 and younger.
What toys are causing injuries?
Nomotorized scooters were the leading toy involved in injuries among specifically identified toys, accounting for 23% of injuries, the CPSC said.
But water beads have recently emerged as adangerous toy, causing the death of a 10-month old who ate one in 2023, the CPSC said.
There were around 6,000 injuries related to water beads in 2023, which accounted for 41% of the "not elsewhere classified" toy category, the CPSC said.
Water beads come in a variety of colors and expand in water to the size of a golfball or larger.
When eaten, they expand in the body and can obstruct airways or the intestinal tract, which can causeserious harm and requiresurgery.
Water beads should be banned because of their safety risks, nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group said in August.
How many children die from toys?
Deaths associated with toys are much rarer.
Information on deaths also isn't complete for 2022 and 2023 due to delays in death certificate reporting, the CPSC said.
Under current estimates, there have been 40 toy-related deaths from 2021 to 2023 for children aged 14 and younger.
In 2023, toys and their causes of death include choking on bouncy balls, crayons and drowning after using a flotating device.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-11-20 00:21:19
