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