December is Safe Toy and Gift Month

With Christmas and Chanukah just around the corner wouldn’t it be nice to wrap a present and not worry whether or not you were giving lead poisoning with that toy truck? The Board of Chosen Freeholders of Cape May County have recognized December as Safe Toy and Gift Month since a 2007 resolution designated it as such. Children encounter a number of hazards every day.  While it may be impossible to eliminate all dangers, parents and care givers can take steps to reduce the risk of intentional injury, by becoming aware of the greatest risk factors that apply to children in particular age groups.

In the US, children from birth to adulthood are more likely to die as a result of injury than from all childhood diseases combined. Injury is also the major cause of childhood hospitalization and disability. Unintentional injuries can result from motor vehicle and bike crashes, pedestrian injuries, drowning, and fires, scald burns, poisonings, choking and falls.

Children can be exposed to lead poisoning, a known health hazard, by the paint on toys. Toys made in other countries and then imported to the United States or antique toys or collectables passed down from generations put children at risk to lead exposure. Most children with lead in their bodies may not have symptoms. Lead poisoning generally causes symptoms only at very high levels, and even then those symptoms - stomach aches, anemia - are similar to those of much less serious illnesses. However, because most children with lead poisoning will not show obvious symptoms, it is important that children be screened to detect lead poisoning. The Cape May County Health Department offers free lead screening for uninsured children.  For an appointment call 465-6841.      

Children age 4 and under are more likely than any other age group to sustain unintentional injuries that in death or disability.  Injuries resulting from drowning and blocked airways are responsible for the majority of unintentional injury deaths among infants.  Choking on small toys, toy parts or latex balloons causes the greatest number of choking deaths. Children between the ages of 5 and 14 are at great risk for injuries associated with roller-skates, in-line skates, and skateboards. Younger children in this age group are particularly at risk because they are still developing the cognitive and motor skills needed to perform these activities well. The majority of deaths associated with skating and skateboarding result from collisions with automobiles.