Are overlooked baby choking hazards in your home?

New parents read through endless articles about child safety. Being a parent is a monumental task, particularly when children are very young. Toddlers and infants have a knack for putting every object in sight into their mouth; it’s how they learn about the world around them.

Although you know to avoid small items, such as Lego bricks, other items could pose a threat. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls dangerous children’s toys and products. Unfortunately, they don’t always catch the item before it hurts a child.

Detachable parts

If pieces of a toy or clothing item is removable from the main part by design, each part should be too large to fit in a child’s mouth. Common hazards include zippers, puzzles, doll clothing and marbles.

Toys for older children may have more intricate pieces as they stop putting items in their mouth, so manufacturers should include age limit labels on these kinds of items. The CPSC enforces a “small parts” regulation that tells manufacturers how large to make pieces for infants.

Toys that wear and tear

Young children tend to play rough. Toddlers don’t generate as much force as an adult, but some items might shatter or rip. Stuffed animals, for example, may contain beads or foam on the inside and marble eyes on the outside. These smaller pieces may become lodged in a baby’s throat if the toy falls apart. Therefore, items for children should be durable enough to withstand regular use.

Parents may still face tragedy

A parent could check safety labels of every new product, but they might still fail to prevent a choking incident. Depending on the case, fault may not lie with the parent, but with the manufacturer of that product.

In this globalized economy, more parents purchase toys, baby clothes and feeding items online. If the products happen to come from a foreign country, however, they might not abide by U.S. child safety standards.

No parent wants to even imagine losing their baby, but the harsh reality is that some parents do experience loss. When this happens, manufacturers may be liable for their fatal errors in a court of law.