The Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, OSPIRG, this week released its 30th annual list of dangerous toys on store shelves.
OSPIRG found toys made with harmful chemicals, including phthalates and chromium. Another big concern is choking hazards. Peacehealth pediatrician Leslie Pelinka says millions of children are brought to emergency rooms with preventable injuries.
Pelinka: "Most of what I see as a pediatrician has been what's been reflected by the statistics, it's been foreign body ingestion, so a toy that has been either ingested into the stomach, where it may or may not be safe, or stuck in the airway, which of course, is much more dangerous."
Pelinka recommends using a toilet paper roll to measure whether a toy is a choking hazard. If it fits through, it can be swallowed. Another concern: noisy toys. OSPIRGs Cat Lockwood:
Lockwood: So we found these "Go Go smart animals at Target. They're currently being sold at Target right now."
[sound of toy]
