Janice Hur, Contributing Photographer

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, health experts remind families to prioritize toy safety to ensure holiday joy doesn’t turn into a trip to the emergency room.

In November, doctors from Yale New Haven Health and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection held a press conference to address toy-related safety risks during the holiday season. They outlined key safety concerns such as choking hazards, button batteries and counterfeit toys sold online. With over 230,000 toy-related injuries reported annually, the speakers emphasized practical tips to help families shop smart and stay safe.

“We love caring for you in our emergency departments, but we don’t want to see you during the holiday season,” said Dr. James Dodington, medical director of the Center for Injury and Violence Prevention at YNHH. “Toys and holiday gifts remain a major driver of injuries, especially among children under four and up to their teenage years.”

Dodington highlighted that popular gifts like scooters and bikes often pose risks, leading to cuts, lacerations and severe accidents if children do not use properly fitted safety gear, such as helmets.

Dr. Magna Dias, chair of pediatrics at Bridgeport Hospital, highlighted choking risks as a top concern for children under three. She recommended that people inspect toys for small, detachable parts.

“Kids under age three explore their world by putting things in their mouths,” she explained. Dias stressed the importance of supervising younger children, especially in households with older siblings whose toys might pose additional risks.

Additionally, button batteries and high-powered magnets, often found in greeting cards and electronic toys, can cause life-threatening burns in a child’s esophagus or airway and cause intestinal blockages if swallowed. Dodington urged families to store these items out of reach and select toys with secure battery compartments. 

Counterfeit toys sold online or in discount stores emerged as another significant concern.

Bryan T. Caffereli from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection advised parents to check labels for age appropriateness and signs of tampering or misspellings that might indicate a lack of safety compliance. He also encouraged families to check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list, particularly for secondhand or budget toys purchased from discount stores or online marketplaces.

“We understand the financial pressures families face, especially in this economy,” Cafferelli acknowledged. “But avoiding toys without proper labeling or with small detachable parts can make a difference in preventing injury.”

In light of this, speakers also emphasized the importance of practical, low-cost strategies for ensuring toy safety. For example, Dodington suggested using a toilet paper roll as a makeshift gauge for choking hazards — if a toy fits through the roll, it’s not safe for small children.

Dias affirmed that shopping on a budget is possible without compromising safety.

“I have shopped at the dollar store before. My mom was a mom of a single mom of four kids, so I totally understand the difficulties,” she said.

Small precautions, panelists emphasized, can make a big difference during the holiday season. 

“Holiday joy is about creating memories, not preventable injuries,” Dodington concluded.