December is Safe Toys and Celebrations Month

It’s that time of year. Time to buy gifts for your family and friends. But what

to buy? Each year, thousands of children under age 15 end up in the emergency room with toy-related eye injuries. Some can even cause permanent vision loss.

Remember these tips when buying gifts for young ones:

1. Inspect the toys to be sure there are not broken parts that can shoot off, or avoid altogether.
2. Try to match the age of the child. Choose ones that allow the child to interact without hurting themselves. Do not allow smaller children to use older children’s toys.
3. Look for the label “ATSM” which means it has met the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.
4. When gifting sports equipment, always include protective gear as well.
5. Please supervise children when playing with toys.

If your child does get injured, please seek medical attention right away, even if it’s mild.

Remember also when gifting those bottles of champagne to adults, take care when opening and aim the top away from anyone’s face or body to prevent eye injury.