Contact: Jodie Snyder
(602) 448-8459

MESA, Arizona (Dec. 5, 2017) -- Don’t let going to the Emergency department for a toy-related injury become part of your holiday tradition.

Lynn Lawrence, MD, Emergency doctor at Cardon Children’s Medical Center, routinely sees more kids coming in after the holidays having injured themselves on the season’s newest toys.

“In the Emergency department we often see issues with toys, especially when children are not given age-appropriate gifts,’’ she said.

The numbers back her up.

Emergency rooms in the United States, treated more than 240,000 toy-related injuries in 2016, according to a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

About a third of all toy-related injuries, or 35-percent, happened to children younger than 5 years of age. Boys accounted for more than half (58-percent) of those injuries in 2016. There were seven toy-related deaths reported last year.

Lawrence offers these general guidelines for shoppers interested in making safe-toy purchases this holiday season:

• Check the different parts of the toy: Toys can contain small parts or even parts that can become hot because of heating elements.

• Check for quality: Avoid sharp corners and rough edges. Choose well-made toys that will not break easily.

• Fidget spinners: Some hospitals have treated children for choking injuries, injuries related to broken pieces, and some kids have had their fingers stuck in them.  

• Most important recommendation: Look on the box in which the toy came for the age recommendations and follow those suggestions. Give age-appropriate gifts.

About Cardon Children’s Medical Center

Cardon Children’s Medical Center provides pediatric care for children, from newborns to teens. Services include emergency care, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, general pediatrics, surgical and rehabilitation services, hematology/oncology, urology, gastroenterology, neurology and outpatient services. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/CardonChildrens.