Toxic Toys
As an early intervention therapist, toys are an enormously important part of my job. In addition, the parents I work with will often ask me to recommend educational and speech-supportive toys for their child, especially at this time of the year. Recommending toys is usually a fairly easy task. However, recently my sister-in-law sent me an email about toy recalls and the dangers of hazardous chemicals in the toys our children play with. She also attached the link to an eye-opening website entitled "
HealthyToys.org".
Here is the link: http://www.healthytoys.org/.
This website really sparked my interest and has changed the way I choose and recommend toys. I knew that toys were recalled for having menacing parts and questionable materials, but after reading through this website and doing some research of my own, I realized the depth of it.
HealthyToys.org highlights the following chemicals and the health effects of each on the human body: Lead, Bromine, Chlorine (PVC), Cadmium, Arsenic, Mercury, Antimony, Chromium and Tin. Most of us who work in any type of educational or medical field have seen the devastating effects of lead poisoning in children. Unfortunately there are numerous other hazardous chemicals to be concerned about as well. Exposure to these chemicals can be quite destructive causing conditions such as permanent neurological damage, hair loss, asthma, heart and lung disorders and the list goes on. The site also offers a list of toy ratings and lets you know which toys are "best" and "worst" in terms of chemical detection. In addition, you can search the toy ratings by "brand" (i.e. Disney) or "type" (i.e. Arts and Crafts). If you do not see a certain toy listed and you are curious about its possible dangers, you can also "nominate" toys to be tested through the website.
When I did a web search for "toy recalls" and "toxic toys" many other sites emerged. Toys "R" Us was one of them. They also have a safety page link http://www5.toysrus.com/safety/prodRecalls.cfm with a variety of helpful information including a list of toy recalls which is updated as recalls occur. In addition, through the site you can sign up for "safety email alerts" that will notify of product safety and recall alerts directly from Babies "R" Us and Toys "R" Us.
Due to the complexity and significance of this topic, I will be writing follow-up posts about toxic toys. Please write in and tell us about any experiences you have had regarding this issue - your feedback could be life-saving!