ROANOKE, Va. – Thanksgiving is finally over and now it’s time for parents to buy all those toys on their kids’ Christmas lists; however, health officials urge parents to be careful.
Doctors said they see more kids go to the emergency department for toy-related injuries during Christmas time.
“It’s a common occurrence where kids can get into things that they’re not supposed to get into, and if they have an issue with, you know, small toys, especially getting stuck ears, in their nose or swallowing them. Those are common emergency medicine presentations in the in the emergency department,” said Chairman and Medical Director of Lewis Gale Emergency Services Dr. Puneet Chopra.
To ensure your kid’s safety, Dr. Chopra said to buy age-appropriate toys. You can check if a toy is age-appropriate by looking at its packaging. Usually, the boxes have the toys' age ranges on them.
He also says you can buy small part testers.
“To make sure that the parts of the toy that could be disassembled or become free or loose that child could get into and play with, they pass that small part tester, or they can use a toilet paper roll, is a good because that’s the size of a child’s airway to make sure that they’re at least bigger than that, because then it becomes much more difficult to swallow and get stuck in their airway,” said Dr. Chopra.
He also said make sure that you’re paying attention to any lose cords, metal parts or sharp plastic when putting your children’s toys together.
Finally, avoid button batteries or magnets, which can cause internal injuries or burns.
Meanwhile, if you’re putting up your Christmas tree, inspect any lights, look for frayed cords, or missing bulbs.
“Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, make sure you’re not overloading electrical outlets. Always best to use like a power strip instead of an extension cord,” said Outreach Coordinator Brian Clingenpeel with Roanoke County Fire and Rescue.
Clingenpeel said if you’re buying a live tree, do not buy it now.
“If you could buy a fresh one, that’s a little closer to Christmas, and then it’s really important to keep it watered, water it every day,” said Clingenpeel.
He also said if you’re putting up lights use plastic clips, never use nails or staples that are metal.