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You are here : home > Newborn Care > Related Articles for Newborn Care > Tips for Infant Toy Safety

Tips for Infant Toy Safety

Tips for Infant Toy Safety

Ensuring infant toy safety is a must for all parents as infants spend most of their time with toys. Small toy parts, broken toys, toy strings and even soft toys can prove harmful to. Read on to find infant toy safety tips for ensuring that your infant is safe with toys.

A common gift that most new born babies receive is toys. Toys are something which will become a very important part of your infant's life as she grows up. However, it is not always wise to simply handover all toys that your infant receives for her to play with. To ensure infant toy safety there are certain things parents must do. These include following.

1) Reading the Warning Labels Carefully

All toy packages normally contain a warning label. The first thing which parents must do to ensure infant safety is to read the warning label carefully. Make sure that the toy is in fact suitable for the age of your infant. Playing with toys which are meant for older children can cause injury to your infant. Hence it would be best to keep away toys which do not suit your infant's age till such time that she is old enough to play with it.

2) Be Aware of Choking Hazards

Often children unknowingly swallow parts of a toy or even a small toy completely. This can get stuck in the throat and choke a baby. Hence keep toys which have small pieces away from your infant till she is old enough to understand that she must not swallow it. A simple thumb rule to bear in mind is that until your child turns 3, toy parts should be bigger than her mouth to avoid the possibility of swallowing and choking.

3) Broken Toys

Broken toys must be thrown away immediately even if they seem usable. Broken toys often have sharp edges which can injure a child. Similarly small broken toy parts are something which an infant can easily swallow resulting in choking. Hence it is best to discard broken toys and throw it away immediately.

4) Soft Toys

Soft toys are one of the most popular gift items that newborns and infants receive. These are indeed cuddly and good to play with. Infants however have a tendency to suck anything that they can lay their hands upon. An infant may swallow the loose hair on a soft toy while she is trying to suck on it. Hence while giving soft toys to your infant to play with make sure that it is clean and sewn properly with no loose hair hanging on it. Make sure to wash all soft toys at regular intervals.

5) Toys with Strings

Toys with strings can get entangled around your child's neck and cause strangulation. Discourage your child from playing with a toy which has a long string attached to it till such time that she is old enough to understand the correct way of playing with it.

Toys are treasures of childhood provided they are chosen responsibly with utmost care bearing in mind the age of the child. For example in the initial months after a baby's birth she will not be able to grasp objects or sit and play. Hence, during this stage she must be given toys that she can look at and listen to. Bright colored toys and toys which produce a gentle sound will make her curious and happy. Baby gyms can easily be fixed over a newborn's crib to keep her entertained.
Rattles, squeeze toys, and other toys can cause suffocation and hence must never be left in a newborn baby's crib while she sleeps. In fact toys kept in a crib should not have small parts since these can pose a choking hazard. Strings attached to an infant's toy must not be longer than 18 cm.
Toys are an integral part of childhood. The variety of toys available in the markets today is really vast. Not all of the toys available are however absolutely risk free. In case you are not sure about a toy from an infant safety point of view do not allow your infant to play with it. Infant toy safety is something that is a parent's responsibility and it is always better to be safe rather than be sorry later.



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Maya
Maya.12 years ago
great article. all parents should take extreme care before buying toys for baby. these tips are really great
 
 
 
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Pritha
Pritha.12 years ago
there are so many cute toys in the market and i feel like buying all of them for my little angel abut your article has made me realize the importance of safety.
 
 
 
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Shloka
Shloka.12 years ago
i am very worried about toy safety for my baby. Now a days cheap plastic toys with cheap paints are available in the market how can i differentiate between them?
 
 
 
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