Toy Safety

Toys are made to help kids have fun and learn, but some can be harmful. It’s important to help protect kids from getting hurt by knowing what toys and products are safe.

What you can watch out for…

• Sharp edges and points 
  Try to stay away from thin plastic toys that can break easily. Broken toys can have sharp edges and points that can hurt small children.
• Small toys with small parts 
  Anything that can pass through a tube of toilet paper is a choking hazard for kids under 3 years.
• Cords and strings 
  They can get wrapped around your baby’s neck.
• Toys with magnets 
  If your baby swallows a magnet, it can get stuck together inside his body and cause serious harm, even death.
• Weight 
  How heavy is the toy? Avoid any toy that could hurt your baby if it fell on him.

Q & A
Q: I started my daughter on simple solid foods like cereals and purees a couple of months ago. When’s a good ti me to start trying out foods that have not been pureed?

A: Different babies are ready to start trying “table foods” that have not been pureed at different times. To know if your daughter is ready to move onto table foods, look for cues.

She might be ready for table foods if…

• She is able to gum and mash-up foods well.
• She can pinch food between her pointer finger and thumb. Usually, babies are able to do this for around 9 months.
• You notice she starts to turn her head away at mealtimes or spits out purees you offer.
• She grabs the spoon and tries to feed herself.

Try this!

To start the shift to table foods, mash, cut up, or grind the foods that you eat, or buy baby foods that have new tastes and textures. Foods that need a little more chewing will help your baby practice and get good at gumming and mashing food in her mouth so she will be able to take table foods safely. Remember to talk to your child’s doctor about starting new solids to find out if any foods might have allergy risks.

Did you know?

It’s important to keep baby teeth clean and healthy. Even though children don’t keep their baby teeth forever, healthy baby teeth help children do things like chew and speak correctly. Baby teeth also help form the path that permanent teeth will follow when your child is older. Even if your child does not have any teeth yet, it’s helpful to practice good oral health habits from the start. To help, wipe your baby’s gums and teeth every day, especially after mealtimes. Also try not to put him to sleep with a bottle.