Toy Safety Tips provided by Carilion Children's Safe Kids Coordinator

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) — With the holiday season, some kids may be expecting some toys from Santa this year.

Carilion Children’s Safe Kids coordinator Jill Lucas Drakeford said the most important thing to keep in mind when giving a child a toy is that it be age appropriate.

We’ve all seen an age recommendation on the side of the toy, and she said it’s important to follow it.

If you purchase something with wheels, such as a bicycle or scooter, it is useful to bring the associated safety equipment, such as a helmet.

“If a child swallows a button battery, they are very thin. They’re not much of a choking hazard because they’re so thin, but they can start giving off acid pretty quickly and that can make them really, really sick… and magnets at that. So again, a child swallowing one magnet isn’t that big of a deal, but if they swallow two, at one point from different toys, they can link together and then they cause perforations in the intestines and intestines , so we want to make sure you really look at those kids and make sure you pick up those toys,” Lucas Drakeford said.

She said that, typically at this time of year, the most common things they see are swallowing and choking.

“Make sure your little kids especially, if they grab arches and get things in their mouths, they can get that plastic all over their face or mouth and that can be very dangerous. It can be a choking hazard, choking hazard, and for our little babies, everyone gets stuffed animals and toys. A baby under the age of one should never have a stuffed animal in his sleeping area when sleeping or at night as it can also be a choking hazard,” says Lucas Drakeford.

Carilion’s Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit and Carilion Children’s Hospital are still collecting donations for their toys and clothing campaign.

Donations can be dropped off at Carilion Children’s Tanglewood Center through December 21.

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