Scoot over Chucky, here’s the new most dangerous toy

Health News

Scooters are the most dangerous foot-powered vehicle since the Flintmobile, according to an article in the journal Clinical Pediatrics. Additionally, wagons, tricycles and motor-powered toys such as Barbie Jeeps are behind a surge in children’s injuries and visits to the E.R. Riding toys were responsible for 35% of injuries and 43% of hospital admissions among children under 18 years of age between 1990 and 2011. “The type of toy that seemed to be driving the increase were foot-powered scooters,” director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and coauthor of the study Dr. Gary Smith told CBS News. “Starting in 1990, when the new style of scooter was introduced, they became more popular and injuries became more common.”

During the more than two decades that the researchers analyzed, approximately 3,278,073 children under 18 were treated for toy-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance database – in other words, about one injury every three minutes. Over 80% of injuries (including broken bones, cuts requiring stitches, and concussions) occurred at home, and 46% resulted from serious falls, and 22% from collisions. “I tell parents if there were three things you could do to prevent an injury to a child riding a scooter they would be ‘wear a helmet, wear a helmet, wear a helmet,’” Smith said. “It is very important that children wear helmets; an injury to the brain can be life-long and devastating, which is why it’s important to prevent that injury in the first place.”

By contrast, the researchers found that injuries linked to choking on small parts accounted for only 11% of cases, despite the number of deaths reported as a consequence swallowing ill-designed toys’ small, removable parts. Younger children are more at risk of choking hazards, “but as a child grows older, ride-on toys, particularly foot-powered scooters, become much more important,” Smith noted. Scooters made a comeback in the late 90’s, and while they won’t make a movie about one of these foot-powered vehicles being possessed by the spirit of a voodoo-practicing serial killer, Smith admitted that he has “never seen anything like” the link between scooters and the 40% increase in toy-related injuries.

Smith recommends that parents read a toy’s package to make sure that it is appropriate for the child’s age. He noted as well that toy companies often use Twitter and Facebook to promote their products but neglect to use social media to notify parents that a toy is considered to be unsafe or defective. Smith said that the toy industry must make an effort to meet U.S safety standards and improve toy design, consumer education and recall effectiveness. “This isn’t about guilt, blame and fault. We’re not pointing fingers,” Smith said. “A child’s occupation is play and toys are their tools. We want children to explore, to challenge themselves and to develop by using those tools, but we want them to do it safely. These toys can be used safely but parents need to be aware of the precautions that should be taken for certain toys to help prevent an injury.”

Advocacy group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) compiled a separate list of 2014’s 10 most dangerous toys:

1. Zing Air Storm Fire Tek Bow.
2. Radio Flyer Ziggle.
3. Toysmith Catapencil.
4. Alphabet Zoo Rock & Stack Pull Toy.
5. Junxing Toys Industrial SWAT Electric Machine Gun.
6. Create. Imagine. Wooden Block Castle.
7. Science Wiz Bottle Rocket Party.
8. JC Toys Lil’ Cutesies Best Friends.
9. Toys R Us True Legends Orcs Battle Hammer.
10. Toys R Us Plush Colored Hedgehog.

Keep an eye out for those toys, and while you’re at it, avoid these Toys completely.

Related Read:

The most dangerous types of toys for kids.

The kids want scooters this year? Buy them helmets too, docs suggest.

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