BALTIMORE–The holidays mean lots of toys for little ones. But sometimes those toys can be toxic.
The Maryland Public Interest Research Group, to help shoppers make safe choices in toy stores, provided detailed information about toxic toys in the 26th edition of its annual report, “Trouble in Toyland.”
According to the report, lead continues to be a danger in toys.
Dr. Anthony Caterina is a pediatrician at Sinai Children’s Hospital and a father to 8-month-old twin daughters.
Although he knows parents want to give their children lots of gifts at the holidays, he points out, “Sometimes it’s better to go for quality over quantity.”
“The toy that’s a bargain might not necessarily be a bargain in the long run,” said Caterina.
A bargain like “The Little Hands Love Book.”
The book contains a variety of textures, enticing babies and toddlers to touch and explore.
It is manufactured by Piggy Toes Press and retails for $7.95 on Amazon.com.
It also contains a lead level of 720 parts per million, exceeding the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s legal limit of 300 parts per million, according to Maryland PIRG.
Plastic additives, known as phthalates, can affect childhood development and can cause early onset puberty in girls.
Two toys identified in the report are over the legal phthalate limit allowed by 2008’s Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
U.S. PIRG offers a mobile site that lists recalled toys, shopping tips and safety hazards for consumers on the go.