The constant companions of every baby from birth to school (and even longer) are, of course, toys. First, rattles, carousels and hanging toys in the stroller, then pyramids, cubes and rubber duckies in the bath, etc. It is with toys that the baby spends the most time, exploring the world through them, testing their taste and strength, and falling asleep with them. High-quality toys, as you know, are not cheap. This is what many unscrupulous manufacturers take advantage of, throwing onto the market products that are not just harmful, but sometimes extremely dangerous for children’s health. What toys are the most harmful? Let's figure it out.
- Toys with small parts
These include construction sets, low-strength toys, soft low-quality toys with an abundance of plastic parts, kinder surprises, etc. What is the danger? The baby may swallow an element of the toy or accidentally insert it into the ear canal or nose. A low-quality toy that a child can easily break, take apart, tear off a bead or nose/eye, or spill stuffed balls is a potential danger for the child.
- Neocube and other magnetic construction sets
Enough fashion toys, which, despite loud anti-advertising, are still stubbornly bought by parents for their children of different ages. What is the danger? Usually foreign object, which accidentally gets into the child’s stomach, comes out during bowel movements. That is, the same plastic ball It will come out on its own in a day or two, and other than mom’s hysteria, most likely, nothing bad will happen. With magnetic constructors the situation is completely different: swallowed in large quantities the balls begin to attract each other inside the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to very serious consequences. And even the operation in this case will be very difficult and not always successful. Such toys should not be purchased by children of the “taste everything” age.
- Young chemist kits
To many parents, such gifts for children seem appropriate and “developmental.” But the desire for science and knowledge of the world around us often ends in failure. Illiterate mixing of reagents often leads to burns and explosions, attempts to generate electricity lead to fires, etc. Toys from this series are appropriate only for older children and only for playing under parental supervision (or better yet, together with their parents).
- Musical toys
There is nothing dangerous in toys of this type if they are made from high-quality materials, are manufactured taking into account the strong fixation of all parts and, most importantly, do not exceed the noise level acceptable for children. A toy that exceeds the permitted level of 85 dB can not only damage your child’s hearing, but also lead to complete loss of it. The sound of the toy should be soft, not shrill, and it is recommended to play with a musical toy for no more than 1 hour/day.
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride) toys
Unfortunately, they are prohibited everywhere except Russia. For some reason, no one in our country has yet gotten around to banning toys made from this toxic material. What is the danger? PVC contains certain plasticizers for the future plasticity of toys, and when a toy gets into the mouth (licking is the first thing!), phthalates enter the baby’s body along with saliva, which accumulate inside and lead to serious illnesses. It is not difficult to recognize a PVC toy: it is cheap, bright, “warm” and soft to the touch (although the elements of a Barbie doll’s headset, for example, can also be made from PVC), and also has one of the markings - PVC, PVC, VINIL , a triangle icon made of arrows with the number “3” inside.
- Stuffed Toys
Such toys can become dangerous for the following reasons:
- Low quality materials (toxic, most often Chinese). For those who don’t know, “let’s discover America” - cheap synthetic materials can contain very dangerous substances. That is, a cute singing purple hedgehog for 200 rubles can result in serious health problems for your child.
- Small parts that are poorly secured. Children love to pick out the eyes of their plush friends and bite off their noses.
- Dust mites love such cozy “houses”.
- Villi from the toy end up in the child’s mouth and respiratory tract.
- Every 4th cheap soft toy causes allergies, as a result of which the baby may experience bronchial asthma.
- Weapons, pistols, darts
You can buy such toys for a baby only if he already knows what their danger is, if his mother will be nearby during the game, and if the baby is no longer a baby. According to statistics, it is precisely because of these toys that children are most often brought to emergency rooms.
- Children's motorcycles
A very fashionable toy for little ones today. As soon as the little one has learned to sit, mom and dad are already bringing him a motorcycle tied with a bow under the Christmas tree. They carry it without thinking that the child is not yet able to keep such a powerful toy under his control. Of course, you can set the minimum speed (if possible) and run alongside, but as a rule, injuries occur precisely at the moment when the parents turned away, left the room, left the child with the grandmother, etc.
- Helicopters, flying fairies and other toys that are customary to wind up and let go in free flight
This series of toys is dangerous due to injuries that a baby receives when accidentally touching a toy thrown around the room. Up to cuts, lacerations and knocked out teeth.
- Rubber toys
The danger of such low-quality toys is also extremely high - from a banal rash to serious allergies and even anaphylactic shock. If a toy smells of chemicals a mile away and the colors are garishly bright, you should absolutely not buy it. Such “joy” may contain lead and arsenic, mercury, chromium and cadmium, etc.
When buying a toy for your little one, remember the basic rules for choosing it:
- Calm colors and sounds, non-aggressiveness of the toy as a whole.
- High quality fastening parts and base material.
- No sharp edges or protruding parts that could cause injury.
- Durable paint coating - so that it does not get dirty, does not wash off, and has no odor.
- The toy should be washed or washed regularly. If the toy you buy does not require these types of cleaning, you should discard it.
- Toys with ropes/laces or ribbons longer than 15 cm are prohibited for children to avoid accidental suffocation.
Buy your kids only high-quality toys (wooden ones are the best and safest). Don't skimp on your children's health.
Video
Leaving the child unattended, parents try to protect him from danger: they remove sharp and small items or simply sit the baby in the playpen and give him his favorite toys.
But some bears, dolls and cars are so dangerous that they can cause serious illness and even death. Stores are filled with poisonous toys from China, so parents must choose the latter responsibly.
Some numbers
Today, approximately 80-85% of toys on the Russian market are imported. And most of them are imported from China. Research has shown that more than 10% of samples do not meet sanitary, chemical or toxicological safety requirements.
The toys studied contained phenols and formaldehydes, chromium, lead and cadmium. Moreover, the content of each element exceeded the standard values tens of times. Needless to say, contact with such toys can be disastrous for a child.
Child interaction with a toy
Many children become so attached to certain toys that they take them for walks, sit them next to them during meals, and put them in bed. That is, contact is almost around the clock. And if the toy emits a pungent odor, then the baby will constantly inhale toxins. And these are frequent headaches, restless sleep and increased nervous excitability.
Children under two or three years old are not averse to tasting the toy. If it is made from harmful synthetic materials, then poisoning is guaranteed. This can be determined by the sudden onset of vomiting, lethargy of the baby and refusal to eat. More severe intoxication may manifest itself as changes in skin color, choking, and fever.
Plastic and rubber toys
Cubes, pyramids, dolls, cars, tops, children's “My Profession” sets and much more are made from plastics and rubber for children. Such toys may contain bisphenols, formaldehydes, polyvinyl chlorides, phthalates and heavy metals.
Bisphenol
This is a hardener, which since 2010 has been prohibited from being added to plastic intended for the manufacture of children's products. But supplies from China continue to go to Russia. Bisphenol negatively affects the brain, causing developmental delays and causing cancer.
The substance can also inhibit the functions of the reproductive system, so a child who comes into contact with such a toy may have problems with procreation in the future.
A very toxic gas with a pungent odor. It is used in the production of plastic, paints and textiles, which can be used to make toys. It enters the body through the respiratory system and is also absorbed through the skin. Due to its toxic effects, formaldehyde is considered a carcinogen, which means it can cause cancer.
Polyvinyl chloride
In the composition it is sometimes prescribed as PVC. The substance itself is not toxic, but the gas required for its production is very dangerous. And if such a toy gets hot, it will begin to release harmful carcinogens that negatively affect the endocrine system.
Phthalates
Makes plastic elastic. Phthalates are prohibited from being used in the production of toys for children under 1 year of age. Different phthalate compounds have certain international designations that can be found on the packaging: BBP, DNOP, DNP, DIDP, DBP, DEHP, DEP.
Accumulating in the body, phthalates can affect the functioning of the kidneys and liver, cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Toxic toys may contain lead, cadmium, nickel, thallium and even mercury. For children, this is fraught with significant deterioration in health. Heavy metals affect different systems organs, causing both unpleasant symptoms (increased blood pressure, decreased memory, headaches, etc.) and diseases (anemia, ulcers of the mucous membranes, kidney and liver damage).
Stuffed Toys
Children really like plush bunnies and bear cubs, because they are so beautiful and fluffy. But colorful animals are often made from synthetic fibers that contain harmful substances and low-quality dyes. Therefore, a child playing with his favorite bear can get poisoned.
Attention! Even if you bought an expensive high-quality soft toy, do not forget to wash it and treat it with a steam generator more often. This will kill dust and bacteria that accumulate on the fibers.
How to choose a safe toy
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the labeling. Even a simple rattle or small ball should have a label containing the following information:
- manufacturer's name or trademark;
- compliance with safety requirements (CE mark) and age restrictions (for example, crossed out “0-3”);
- risk factors or warnings (for example, “do not put in water”);
- instructions (not always available).
If the information on the label is satisfactory, you need to carefully examine the toy visually. After all, it may turn out to be harmful for the child according to other criteria.
Small parts
Children under three years of age are not recommended to buy construction toys with small elements that can be easily swallowed. Even if the child does not put everything in his mouth, while playing and playing around, parts can get into the respiratory tract. Large toys should be checked for the strength of fastening of elements: sewn and glued small things (noses, eyes, tails, etc.).
Loud sounds
Singing and talking toys should produce a sound power of no more than 65 dB indoors. If the norm is exceeded, the baby will have a headache, he will become restless and nervous.
Appearance
Today in the store you can find such “monsters” that even adults are sometimes afraid of. Such a toy can damage a child’s psyche, so it’s not worth the risk.
Attention! Before purchasing a toy, be sure to smell it. A pungent chemical smell will tell you without words that this is a harmful product that should never be given to children.
Parents on alert
Parents can protect their child from harmful or even dangerous influences. You should buy toys only in specialized children's stores, always pay attention to the label, and do not hesitate to demand quality certificates.
And you must keep the receipt so that in case of poisoning you can take the product for examination and, if its toxicity is detected, sue the store. This will help warn other children from harmful products.
A fluffy bear, a Masha doll and plush dogs from our childhood? Or fashionable weird green monsters and dolls with blue faces? Or maybe, in general, only interactive developmental ones - to teach new things?
Useful or not?
Often parents choose toys for their child from a rational point of view. This is not always justified, because in addition to developmental ones, a child should also have simply “favorites.”
When the baby gets a little older, he begins to ask for toys that friends have, even if they are not so interesting for him. It is a normal desire to belong to a certain group of peers. It makes sense to meet the child halfway in this matter so that he does not feel inferior and disadvantaged, even if you are an opponent of superheroes or robots.
Monster toys
You've probably noticed in stores a huge assortment of toys depicting various monsters. Some are downright scary, others are comical, but you certainly can’t call them cute. Why do children play them?
For a child, a game is a way of learning behavior in a real situation, as if it were a rehearsal, but in a safe setting. By playing with such creatures, children learn to overcome their fears. After all, kids are often afraid of monsters under the bed, scary dreams. And monster toys can help with this problem.
Pistols and swords
Games and toys that help a child show his aggression have always been and will be popular. In such a game, it is appropriate to shout and attack, where the child feels confident because he enters into a certain role. In addition, he learns to interact with other children in situations of conflict.
The main thing is to explain: we attack only in the game, and on those who agree to play. Aiming a gun, even a toy one, at your mother or sister, or swinging a sword at your grandmother is unacceptable.
Barbie and company
Rows of these leggy beauties in bikinis, wedding dresses and fashionable outfits, simply hypnotize girls. Psychologists often lament that such dolls distort a child’s ideas about beauty. female body. They develop excessive attention to their own appearance, and inattention to spiritual qualities. But who said that one interferes with the other? Choosing outfits, learning to be beautiful and fashionable is not bad at all. And for internal development, other games with other characters are suitable. And Barbie, if desired, can also teach kindness and care. After all, there are sets where she is a doctor, a teacher, a mother.
Criterias of choice
In order not to worry about the usefulness or harmfulness of toys, follow a few rules:
- There should not be too many toys; they clutter the apartment, and the child quickly loses interest. Put some in a box and take them out a month later, they will be perceived as new.
- Toys should be varied. Ten talking dolls and not a single designer the best option. It’s good when toys can be used in different play combinations: a train can carry dolls and cubes, dolls can live in a house made of cubes, be treated in a toy hospital and drive a car.
- Observe how and what your child plays. This will allow you to notice features of its development that may require correction. Excessive aggression in games, when a child hits and breaks toys, punishes them, or kills them, may indicate that the atmosphere in which the child is growing up is not the most favorable.
The same scenario in games should also raise red flags. As a rule, children act out situations that are difficult for themselves.
At least half of the toys lying on Russian shelves are questionable regarding their usefulness for children, at least one third of all toys have a clearly negative effect on the psyche, at least one third, in addition to their other qualities, are made of toxic materials or are simply dangerous to life , health.
Today we will talk about bad or dangerous toys that our children play with.
What to play for our children among the variety of bright, but poisonous assortment, what impact does aggressive, distorted images have on the immature child’s psyche - let’s try to figure it out.
Children's games and toys are what partly shape a child's personality. No matter how much the last statement might seem like an exaggeration to adults, we all grew up with toys, and today we are already seeing a generation that played Barbie and computer games, the fruits of what these seemingly harmless things “sowed.”
Barbie dolls
The “epidemic of popularity” of these dolls began in our country somewhere in the early 90s, after perestroika. Every girl dreamed of such a toy, almost every one had one. Do you think it's just a toy? A cute, slim, positive plastic copy of a photo of a model?
Toys, especially such cult ones, are always more than just a thing; they are either a means of disintegrating society, or promoting new ideas, or advertising something that needs to be made popular in a few years or decades.
Here’s how the Barbie doll was all together at once: long legs, thin waist and other contours formed the ideal of a woman among girls, which was worshiped by several generations; this also became one of the forms of propaganda open relationship, a statement of the sexual revolution, at the same time brought profit to millions of companies associated with the beauty industry, to which women who wanted to lose weight and look like Barbie gave their last in the hope of being closer to their dream.
This dream was implanted in both men and women, including with the help of toys that we played in childhood, as they say, in order to control people you need to replace their ideals. If you look at the ideals of women of the mid-century of the 20th century, then all of them (most) are short, not at all thin, their waists are cinched in a corset, they were admired by both the strong and weak halves of humanity. The formation of new stereotypes and templates of beauty was set by fashion models suffering from exhaustion and dolls whose popularity knew no bounds.
“Barbie dolls, which are an important milestone in the lives of many little girls, may help their developmental skills,” according to a British study. adolescence eating disorders, writes The Sunday Times.
The study found that Barbie dolls, whose figures are much thinner than traditional figures, especially at the waist, make girls want to become unrealistically thin as they grow up.
Researchers from two UK universities say Barbie dolls may contribute to girls' feelings of self-image insecurity. which in turn can lead to feelings of insecurity and eating disorders later in their lives.
They say this is the first study to identify body image concerns in children of this age. early age».
There are also many other studies about the dangers or doubtful benefits of these dolls for children.
Today we see the fruits of “thin beauty”, a consumerist attitude towards life, which were “sown” in us through different ways. Barbie dolls and the like are popular even today. Just just a doll in itself, beautiful, smiling, long-haired, which doesn’t seem to carry much negativity, and the production of billions of dollars for the whole world are two different things.
Individually, it’s an ordinary, cute toy, but in large numbers, it’s a weapon. Buying this doll for a child today, you don’t have to worry too much negative influence and other things - everything that this toy could do bad - it has already done. Personally, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with Barbie at the moment when around real life and from the screens, on the Internet there are a lot of girls, next to whom the psychological and physical non-standardity of this doll is common - I don’t see it.
It was replaced by new games and dolls, for example, Winx and Bratz dolls. Moreover, you can find on the shelves of real and virtual stores (in the children's goods department) figurines with pronounced sexual characteristics.
Winx, Bratz, Monster High dolls
Winx are, one might say, cute creatures compared, for example, to the Skelitt doll (Monster High). Winx are glamorous magical girls, that is, mysticism and magic are presented to our children as the norm, which seems to be not scary for most of the world.
However, the next stages in parallel are dolls with the physiognomy of monsters, piercings in the nose, lips, in a satanic guise, with a swastika, with elements, symbols of death (sewn up mouth, Blue colour bodies, etc.). This is not just mysticism - this is godlessness, taking minds away from religion, faith, Christianity at a young age.
Bratz with a large head, which, among other things, forms a distorted image of his body. Most of the average (not too exalted) dolls of the new generation are glamorous, beautifully dressed girls with a suitcase of bright clothes, with hair down to their heels and enlarged lips, marked with war paint on their eyes, wearing platform shoes and high heels.
What is the girl doing with the doll? What's with Barbie, what's with Winx, what's with Bratz... Changes outfits (the outfits have everything: underwear, a bunch of dresses, shoes), goes on dates with Canes and other gentlemen, rides in expensive cars, fixes makeup, combs his hair, in general essentially messing around.
How many Barbie and more modern dolls are there for children? Or busy at some work? Almost all of them are childless, unemployed, with enlarged lips, thin waist and at the same time live in a luxurious house, ride in a car. What ideas about life do you think these formats shape? Firstly, consumer ones. With the help of these dolls and other toys, girls' manifestations of the maternal instinct are minimized and suppressed.
What kind of dolls were there before? In the form of small children, baby dolls, babies. The appearance of the doll was not so important, the appearance was rather cute rather than defiantly glamorous, it was different from the appearance of an adult and there were no obvious parallels between the girl and the doll. I wanted to play with them, swaddle them, feed them, treat them, roll them in a stroller, and not take them on dates in a two-centimeter skirt.
Computer games
Since the Internet has firmly entered our lives, computer games have become an integral part of the existence of many. It’s probably not even worth talking in detail about how much evil they brought, how many minds they corrupted and how many lives they ruined. Virtual addiction is one of the most strong addictions, it manifests itself not only in the inability to live without computer games, but also in endless surfing on the Internet, and the inability to live in the real world.
“Shooting games,” “war games,” and bloody showdowns are some of the most popular computer games. In real life, representatives of the generation that grew up playing such games often began to confuse reality and the virtual world. In the game you could easily kill someone, this slowly erased the line between murder as a sin, a crime; those who learned from props in reality quickly lost their brakes. In addition, gambling addiction in its extreme form is essentially a disturbed psyche; people, trying to “get off” the needle of computer games, easily switch to another addiction.
What gave rise to the surge in popularity of violent, aggressive games? Accordingly, there is an outbreak of aggression in society, an increase in the crime rate - this is only according to statistical data. But the main thing is: what do you think led to the rise of Al-Qaeda and ISIS? Of course, I was prepared, and one of the training courses was computer “warfare.” After all, the opportunity to “play” under a contract in ISIS, killing those who are supposedly enemies for free, with impunity, attracts many people.
In addition to aggressive computer games - just stupid and useless “farms” and the like - they simply take up a lot of time from the younger generation... and this in itself is a huge minus. But to explain to people who didn’t grow up without computers, didn’t borrow books from a dusty library, ahead of school curriculum and reading new works off topic - what is life without a “computer” - is impossible.
Poisonous toys
However, despite the powerful suppression of the maternal instinct, children are born, and accordingly, they build on toys. good business. Very often people care about money, profit, but not about the quality of goods and people's health.
Even rattles for the little ones can be made with the addition of poisons: phenol in paint and other harmful substances (formaldehyde, lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic). Not only can a child touch them (allergies, skin irritation, contact of poisons with the skin) - he can chew them, all poisons directly enter the intestinal tract and can cause poisoning.
“The effect of phenol on the body
Phenol is rapidly absorbed through the skin, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. In the body it is concentrated in the kidneys and liver. Phenol destroys immune system child.
In addition, it has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the mouth, nasopharynx, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. All this can lead to a runny nose, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath and palpitations.
« Toys containing phenol are mainly produced in China.” Formaldehyde is irritating and generally toxic.
It has a negative effect on the central nervous system and is irritating to the mucous membranes and skin. If inhaled or in contact with skin and mucous membranes, it is life-threatening.
Formaldehyde has negative effects on genetic material, reproductive organs, respiratory tract, skin and eyes.”
Heavy metals and their salts have a detrimental effect on the human body, especially on the body of a small child.
Phenol can be found in the coating of low-quality toys, in the material from which the toy is made, heavy metals and their salts in different parts dolls, toys, children's jewelry, etc.
Honestdetective— Poisonoustoys:
Dangerous toys
Dangerous toys can be things that seem completely harmless at first glance.
For example, Neocube details - magnetic balls (over three years, one of the regional Russian hospitals operated on 40 children who had swallowed neocube parts). The complexity of the situation when a child swallows several magnets is precisely that they do not leave the body just like that, they are attracted to each other, intestinal perforation can occur, resulting in peritonitis. There are enough cases where children who were diagnosed with an alleged rotavirus infection died from peritonitis caused precisely by complications after swallowing magnets.
Swallowed batteries are also dangerous, as they can oxidize in the stomach and cause severe burns.
Dangerous are small parts from construction toys and other games that a baby, especially under the age of three, can easily swallow; further complications can be caused either by getting stuck in the gastrointestinal tract or by breathing problems due to getting into the respiratory tract.
Therefore, children under three years of age, and perhaps older children, in some cases should not be given toys/games with small parts.
Bright colors of toys
Toys of poisonous, acidic colors or with several bright accents, motley - very often cause psychological oversaturation, ultimately irritation and aggression. It’s not for nothing that there is such a type of therapy as color therapy; each color has a specific effect on a person.
Therefore, you need to choose toys for your child based on color information. You can’t completely exclude attractive shades, but it’s better not to combine a “bouquet” of bright things, positive ones, subdued bright colors are needed, and they are preferable to black and gray ones, but everything should be in moderation.
Toys that scare:
You should also be careful even with seemingly ordinary toys:
Video “Pavel Volya. Comedy Club 07/06/2013. Russiantoys«.
Summing up the review, I want to say that there are alternative opinions of psychologists that playing with dead dolls, vampires, is vulgar dressed girls- can be very useful because they provide an outlet for many negative emotions, the accumulation of which is much more harmful than expression in the game.
They say that through performances with witches and the dead, a child’s interest in mysticism is quenched, through games of princesses with pouting lips, knowledge modern world to be prepared for it, and not to avoid reality. In addition, computer games help release negativity, which cannot be discharged on family members.
And parents who protect their child from every sneeze, who examine every toy for adequacy, are overprotective of their child from the lack of own life or prospects and trusting relationships with the child, which they hide behind a fictional world and pedantry, as a result, the child often accumulates a couple of complexes, and later copies his parents.
Naturally, trusting relationship will not replace any best toys... however, no matter how good goals are hidden behind psychological maneuvers, dead dolls are not normal, let psychologists themselves play with them.
Of course, you should avoid obviously aggressive games and products, but you really can’t protect yourself from everything; besides toys, many other factors influence the development of a child’s personality and body.
Do you remember the time (especially during the existence of the Soviet Union) when there was one dump truck, one Teddy bear, ball, pyramid, doll - and everyone was happy? Maybe it’s not a matter of quality and quantity at all, but something else? Maybe the modern generation is already a little “stuck” and does not appreciate what is worthy?
Children are our everything. Our happiness, our health, our grief, our hopes... Parents are ready for a lot so that the child grows up healthy, smart, beautiful, kind, happy... And would anyone deny their miracle of diapers new toy? Of course not! This is what manufacturers and sellers of toys for all purposes use, pursuing, in principle, the good goal of satisfying parental and child needs, but are some of those for whom toy production is just a business so altruistic?
Toys accompany a child’s life from an early age, starting with rattles and pendants for strollers and playpens. Even after growing up, many continue to cherish and play with their favorite toys or find “adult” alternatives to them. This is psychology that you can’t just brush aside. Toys attract children's attention, develop vision, touch, hearing, color perception, promote the development of motor coordination and much more. But are toys safe for a child’s health?
The question of whether a toy is harmful to a child’s health often does not arise for parents at all. The child likes the toy - take it! What do you take? Think about it, when buying this or that product, perhaps a cute-looking toy can harm your child.
Children learn about the world not only by hearing and sight, but also by taste and tooth, biting and licking the instruments of understanding the world given to them - toys. Therefore, first of all, you should find out what materials the toy is made of. And what chemicals are contained in the material from which the toy is made. And much more that toy manufacturers are silent about.
What you need to know about the harmful side of toys?
The concentration of harmful substances in children's products from some manufacturers is several times higher than permissible sanitary standards. The media have long been talking about the dangers of children's products, which contain harmful substances such as phenol, formaldehyde, mercury, lead, etc. in unacceptable quantities. Moreover, most of these toys are intended for small children, but even they do not have quality and safety certificates, do not carry mandatory appropriate markings.
Harmful goods. Risk factors
Sanitary and hygienic tests carried out by Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation laboratory research chemical composition toys show that up to 15% of samples do not meet standards.
The practice of inspections shows that such toys do not meet safety requirements for sanitary-chemical and toxicological indicators, at a minimum. And it’s not worth buying them, if only because of the lack of labeling.
Parental control of the safety and quality of the purchased toy is the last barrier separating the child’s body from harmful substances that will inevitably enter the baby’s stomach. But the state does not stand aside, although its activity could be much higher, and preventive measures- tougher. Nevertheless, most toys offered on the market are tested, albeit voluntarily, by an honest manufacturer.
When conscientious toy manufacturers submit them for examination, specialists test the submitted samples according to certain indicators, the list of which is very extensive.
For example, a rattle should not be heavier than 100 g. It should have a durable body so that the toy is difficult to break, since there are small parts inside that make noise. It is clear that if the rattle breaks and falls apart, the child may swallow it, choke or get hurt. Therefore, rattles must be tested for strength, for which they are thrown onto a special platform from a height of 850 mm as many as 5 times in a row.
Be sure to examine the materials from which the toy is made. Purpose of the test- detect toxic substances, if any: lead, arsenic, mercury, selenium, barium and very, very much more from the periodic table of chemical elements.
Experts also check the sound that the toy makes, as there are certain sound level standards that are strictly controlled during the certification process. The sound produced by the toy should not be too loud or annoying, as this may damage the child's hearing.
The size of small toys is checked using a special device whose design imitates a child’s throat. Size small toys must be larger than the diameter of the reference cylinder. Not a great test, but better than nothing.
Toys made of plastic must be checked for sharp edges. For this purpose, a device is used on which a film is attached, replacing the delicate and vulnerable skin of the child. The test is simple: if the toy left a mark on the film, damaging it, this means the presence of dangerous burrs. Therefore, such a toy should not be allowed for sale. In addition, the protective and decorative coating of the toy is tested for resistance to saliva and sweat.
In addition to what has already been listed, in Russia there are sanitary and hygienic weight standards for children's toys. Their existence is justified by doctors by the fact that the child’s bones are not yet strong and an overly heavy toy can injure the child’s bone tissue.
Another test is carried out to determine the reliability of the information provided by the manufacturer about what age the toy is intended for, because it is clear that toys are not bought “for growth”. A toy that is not appropriate for the child’s age will not have a developmental effect and may injure the child.
Harmful goods. Risk factors
Every year, about 190,000 children are admitted to hospitals with injuries caused by toys. 79% of accidents occurred in children under 14 years of age.
But everything that was written above may not be known, but safe toy still buy it. How, you may ask? To do this, you just need to be careful: the main indicator of the quality of a children's toy is the presence of information in Russian on the packaging, in addition to which a green dot may be depicted - evidence of the environmental safety of the materials used in the manufacture of the toy.
Harmful goods. Think about it when buying this or that product!
IN developed countries Every year, about 20 child deaths associated with toys are recorded, including more than 60% from suffocation, 25% from falls from moving toys, 10% from poisoning by toxic substances present in toys.
You were able to make sure that it is quite simple to buy a safe toy for your child; if only you would not want to blindly indulge your parental instincts, follow the desires of the young creature, but have time to use common sense. You will find all the necessary information on the packaging and label of the toy, but if it is not found there after a long search, then neither your offspring nor you need such a toy.
