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Defective children’s toys can cause serious injuries. It is important to know which toys have been recalled and know what to look for in defective toys. Even then, it’s still possible that one or more of the toys your children play with are defective. Here are a few tips to keep your children safe:

• Check the FDA homepage at www.fda.gov.
• Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission homepage at www.cpsc.gov.
• Make sure you, your spouse and your older children know basic first aid and CPR skills.
• Thoroughly check all your children’s toys at least once a month for any unusual wear, breakage, paint chipping, or other problems, and discard them immediately.
• Don’t buy toys that might lose paint, splinter, or pose safety problems because of sharp edges.
• Avoid fuzz or material that can be easily inhaled if it comes detached, and avoid toys that will break into small pieces that can be swallowed.
• Fabric toys should be flame-retardant.
• Only buy nontoxic art materials.
• Through away toys that are rusty or moldy.
• Bath toys should be sanitized and thoroughly dried after every use and replaced every couple of months.
• Bath toys should only be made out of waterproof material, not material that will break down after being in the water.
• Shop at stores that carry products they guarantee for safety. Ask store managers how they assess the quality and safety of their products.

The most recent concern for parents has been toys containing lead paint, with the majority of them originating from China. The only sure way to avoid lead paint is to purchase toys that aren’t painted. There are options to buy organic toys, wood toys, etc. Remember to watch out for other items your child comes in contact with as well. For example, defective cribs, beds and strollers can cause injury as well. You can educate yourself before making any purchases by visiting the Consumer Product Safety Commission site. Also, make sure you purchase your items at a store that will happily refund or replace your item whether it is defective or not. If you take something home and immediately realized it poses a danger to your child, you want to be able to return it. If your child was injured because of a defective toy or product, contact a personal injury attorney immediately.