The Need to enhance safety measures to prevent

accidents in children swallowing objects.

  Accidents in children who swallow small toy parts, coins and batteries continue to occur. These toys which may cause asphyxiation to children are still being sold in the market and therefore special attention is needed in this matter.

  In analyzing injury cases reported through the Consumer Injury Surveillance System in 2007, the number of accidents in children who swallowed small objects totaled 232 cases. Among them, 73 incidents (or 31.5%) were caused by children swallowing small toy parts.   

  Based on toy monitoring, some toys have small parts which are not suitable for children of young age, and there is also no appropriate warning notice about choking hazard.

  The Korea Consumer Agency (www.kca.go.kr) analyzed the accidents in young children who swallowed small objects and the KCA conducted toy monitoring.  As a result, tightened safety measures are needed to prevent accidents in children swallowing objects.

■ Toys are mostly swallowed by children

  In analyzing incidences of children swallowing objects reported in 2007 through the Consumer Injury Surveillance System, accidents involving children less than 14 years of age totaled 232 cases. In categorizing the type of objects mostly swallowed by children, 31.5% (73 cases) were related to toys followed by medical/chemical products 19.8% (46 cases), foods 16% (37 cases) and household goods 14.2% (33 cases).  

■  Most incidences occurred in children under three years of age

  Accidents related to young children under the age of 3 years reached 152 cases (65.5%).

  Accidents involving children between the ages of 0~1 year totaled 25 cases.  In categorizing the type of objects mostly swallowed by children, household goods (buttons, lid of bottle etc) accounted for 32% (8 cases), followed by medical/chemical products 20% (5 cases). 

  Meanwhile, 95 accidents related to children between the ages of 3~6 years were reported. Of  the accidents occurring within the ages of 3~6, 44.2% of these incidents (42 cases) were caused by toys such as small toy parts, marbles, and bullets for BB gun etc.

■  Lack of safety precautions on toys

  The Korea Consumer Agency has investigated 6 kinds of toys for children less than 3 years of age, which have acquired the Korea Product Safety mark and are currently being sold in the market.  As a result, safety issues have aroused since all 6 investigated toys have small parts which are likely to be swallowed by children under the age of 3 years old. However, all 6 toys were indicated as ‘the age of users’ for ages 1 or 2 years old.

※ Korea Product Safety (KPS) 

  According to quality and manufacturing-safety management laws, 47 item (including toys) manufacturers and importers must submit their toys for Korea Product Safety certification from the testing agencies designated by the government.

  Despite the fact that these toys contained 22 small parts deemed as unsafe for children less than 3 years of age, some Hello Kitty products and Play house toys are still indicated for the use of children above the age of 2. 

■  Safety measures to be improved by strengthening

precautionary notices and specifying toy testing standards.

  In particular, pointy materials, button shaped batteries and more than 2 magnets are very dangerous when swallowing them since they may cause damages or fenestrations of internal organs.

  The Korea Consumer Agency recommends that the safety precaution notice should be attached on the toys which include button shaped batteries or more than two small magnets.

  The Korea Consumer Agency advises that the specific safety standard on toys should be established so that the toys including small parts can only be used by the children above the age of 3. 

  Based on the above report, the Korea Consumer Agency plans to recommend to the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards as follows;

  ▲ Call for tighter safety standards on toys.

  ▲ Enhance the precaution notice on small objects which can lead to serious problems.

  ▲ Standardize the certificates of toy safety testing.

  To prevent accidents in children swallowing objects, the KCA’s advice is as follows;

  ▲ Refrain from purchasing toys that have small parts for the use of infants due to their tendency to swallow anything that they can get a hold of.

  ▲ Avoid purchasing products that include magnets or button shaped batteries

  ▲ Make sure to check regularly the safety of small parts of toys.

  Also it is advised that parents to go to the hospital to receive proper emergency care rather than trying to self-remove the object when a child swallows an object.