Healthy choices for kids usually translates into snacks, or even sleep, certainly not their toys, but with the holiday season upon us, and many of us buying gifts for our kids and other youngsters, some of those trinkets and gadgets may have lifelong effects.
- Avoid toys with BPA, PVC and phthalates
- CDC: more research is needed to determine potential risks
- Children should always wash hands after playtime
The University of Akron nursing professor Laura Distelhorst recommends parents should make purchasing chemical-free toys a priority. Her first tip to make that a reality? As you cruise the store aisles, scan the labels.
“When you look for products, you want to look for the labels to say no BPA, no PVC, no phthalates," she said.
Five types of phthalates, a chemical used to make plastic more pliable, are banned from use in childrens' toys in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more research is needed on that chemical and others to determine their exact effects in humans, and you can’t totally avoid consuming chemicals in today’s climate. Distelhorst said with prolonged use of items containing high levels of those substances, issues like behavioral problems, obesity, and diabetes could arise in kids over time.
“Even though they might be exposed to a little bit at a time, it’s that cumulative effect that actually makes the impact," she said.
She also recommends staying clear of shopping at discount dollar stores, pointing to a 2015 study by The Ecology Center, a Michigan-based non-profit.
The report says toxic chemicals were found in many of the items on the stores’ shelves. No matter what treasures end up in your home, she says there is one vital post-playtime task.
“The biggest thing after they play with a toy, or they’ve been playing on the floor, is to wash their hands," she said. "That’s one of the number one ways they get the chemicals in their body.”
Distelhorst said encourages toy buyers to do their homework before heading to the store to make their purchases.
A few resources she recommends:
- Keep tabs on companies who state their toys are PVC, BPA, and phthalate-free, including businesses like Plan Toys, North Star Toys, WOW Toys, and LEGO
- The Ecology Center lists safety ratings of popular items for children
- The United States Public Interest Group, a Ralph Nader-backed group, issues an annual "Trouble in Toyland" report