To Your Health, December 2011 “Hazardous Toy List”
Ho, Ho, Ho and the Happiest of Holidays to our HCAM viewers! Welcome to this special holiday edition of To Your Health. I’m Dr. Jim Kenealy.
The holidays are a time for celebration and giving and nothing puts a bigger smile on the face of the recipient, or the giver, than giving a toy to an excited, grateful child. Yet, imagine the dismay and horror, if your well-intentioned gift caused harm, or worse, to your beloved child or grandchild. The toys we give are often a reflection of the season itself – bright, colorful and LOUD. And therein lies the problem.
Loud toys can damage the hearing of children, especially infants and toddlers. Younger children’s sensitive hearing is more susceptible to noise damage and their shorter arm spans mean that the noisy toy is in closer proximity to their little ears. As an ear, nose and throat specialist, this is of particular concern to me. Each year, I look forward to the publication of the Sight & Hearing Association’s annual “Noisy Toy List.” Working together with researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Otolaryngology, they test the newest and most popular toys, just before the holiday shopping season.
The toys are purchased directly off of the shelf from retailers and are not modified in anyway. The testing is performed in a sound-proof booth. The sound pressure level, in decibels, is measured by the researchers at both 0 inches and 10 inches from the toy to simulate a child either holding the toy next to their ear or playing with the toy at arm’s length.
Topping this year’s list is the Disney Cars 2 Shake ‘N Go! Finn McMissile - it came in at an ear-shattering 124 decibels (dB). That’s about as loud as a rock concert or an airliner at takeoff! By National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) standards, that level of noise carries a risk of almost instantaneous hearing damage.
Sounds that are 85 dB or louder can permanently damage your ears. The louder the sound, the less time it takes to cause damage. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards state a hand-held, table-top or crib toy should not exceed 90 dB at 25 cm - about 10 inches. Unfortunately, a toy makers’ compliance with the standard is voluntary.
On this year’s list, 24 toys tested greater than the safe level of noise with 19 coming in at 100 dB or greater. While one would expect some toys like the Combat Rangers MP5 Tactical Force Rifle (112 dB) or The Home Depot Deluxe Power Chainsaw (109 dB) to be loud, you can’t depend upon the name. The Disney Cars 2 Shake ‘N Go! Professor Z beats them both out, honking and rattling at 114 dB. Now that’s traffic noise! And the Disney Princess Play-a-Sound Follow Your Dreams book (118 dB) is second on the list – better not be reading that in the school library!
Noise-induced hearing loss is cumulative over our lifetime. That’s why the Sight and Hearing Association feels that it’s so important to start protecting our hearing, even at a very young age. Noise exposure in childhood put us on a fast track to early hearing loss and the need for hearing aids as adults.
For the full list and more details, visit the Sight & Hearing Association’s website.
But, noise isn’t the only concern with toy safety. The U.S. PRIG, a national federation of state public interest research groups, has an annual “Trouble in Toyland” list of unsafe and dangerous toys that now appears on their new interactive website.
Just prior to every holiday season PIRG chapters shop for potentially hazardous toys. They concentrate on toys that are still on the shelves, not those that have already been recalled. They work together to test for those that violate or just barely meet standards and safety recommendations put forth by safety advocacy organizations such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Once again, seemingly innocuous toys like foam counting baby blocks, an Oscar doll, a Tinkerbell watch, and even a peace sign bracelet make the list of hazardous toys. Toys may be deemed unsafe for a variety of reasons, including excessive noise. Some contain high levels of toxic substances like lead, cadmium or phthalates. Others pose choking hazards for small children, containing small parts, marbles or balls, but sold without warning labels. Try the “toilet paper roll test”, if a toy or part of a toy can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it represents a choking hazard for children 3 or under. Also, keep latex balloons away from kids younger than 8. The force of the expanding air from a popped balloon can propel the fragments down the throat and obstruct the voice box. Believe it or not balloon fragments are the most fatal foreign body in children.
If you come across a toy that appears to be unsafe or, worse yet, know of a child who has been injured by a toy, don’t hesitate to report it to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Gee – I wonder what I’m going to get for Christmas. Have I been good this year?
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a very happy and healthy New Year, for To Your Health, I’m Dr. Jim Kenealy.
For the complete list hazardous toy list related websites, see below:
Consumer Product Safety Commission
National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH)
CDC - Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic