A local medical professional is encouraging parents to be safe when selecting Christmas toys for children this year.
Dr Benjamin Orozco, the Chair of Emergency Services and Medical Toxicologist with Emplify Health by Gunderson, tells SeehaferNews.com that getting something your child is going to be excited about is always important, but it’s also a parent’s job to make sure that toy is safe for their child.
“Consider the age of all the children in your house,” he suggested. “Toys with small parts or sharp edges might be appropriate for a teenage or older child, but it’s really those toddlers that explore the world with their mouths. We worry about choking, injuring themselves with small parts.”
Dr Orozco is also warning parents of the dangers of button batteries.
Those are the coin-shaped batteries that are required for some electronics, but as you may expect, they can appear to be food to a small child.
“If swallowed, they can really cause severe burns and can be potentially life-threatening in small children. In anyone, really, but usually small children are the age group that we see who ingest a button battery by accident,” he explained.
If you plan on getting your child a toy with wheels, such as a skateboard, scooter, or rollerblades, Dr Orozco suggests including the safety equipment with the gift.
This includes a helmet, kneepads, elbow pads, and padded gloves.
He also suggested trying to find toys that “stimulate the minds and bodies of young kids.”
