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Baby toys inspire a million "awww's," make great gifts, and help to engage your child. But they also help your baby learn about the world around her. Translation? Those stacking rings will be in your baby's fist, then her mouth. And your toddler?s favorite stuffed rabbit? She falls asleep snuggling it right up to her chin. Clearly, it's essential that any toy your child comes in contact with must be safe.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the gatekeeper of standards for U.S. toys. All toys made in or imported to the United States after 1995 must comply with their safety requirements, and there's good reason for this: The CPSC reports that in 2005, toy-related injuries sent almost 73,000 children under age 5 to the emergency room.
Regulations include bans on lead paint, sharp edges, glass, and sharp points on toys for young children; the sale of toys with small, chokeable parts to babies and toddlers; choking-hazard warnings on these same toys for young children; loud noise warnings; and more. In addition to these federal regulations, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets voluntary industry standards for toy safety, reached by consensus.
Though they agree that most toys are safe, watchdog group U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Groups) believes more action needs to be taken to protect young children from hazardous toys. In 2006, their 21st annual safety survey found toys on the market that present choking and strangulation hazards to young children. It also cited dangers from swallowing magnetic toys and lead in children's jewelry. The ASTM International Committee on Consumer Products has addressed this by revising some of their safety specifications for toys in the spring of 2007.
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