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“Trouble in Toyland” Report Reveals Children's Toy Dangers

Some toy companies dispute the findings of the "Toyland" report

A "Trouble in Toyland" report released Monday revealed a slew of toys that may pose serious risks to children.

The California Public Interest Research Group released the 29th annual report of toys it says contain either toxic metals and chemicals, small parts, and other items deemed dangerous to children.

Speaking from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, a CALPIRG spokesperson presented examples of those dangers.

"Despite releasing this report for 29 years, and although we’ve seen progress — we do continue to find dangerous toys on the shelves," said Sujatha Jahagirdar, the public health campaign director for the US Public Interest Research Group.

Among some of the reports findings, a toy tambourine was found with heavy metal chromium at over nine times the legal limit and several toys that went over the phthalate limits.

The report also says that despite a ban on small parts in toys for children under the age of 3, a set of foam blocks was found marketed for children ages 2 and up that included several blocks that were considered small parts.

"We should be able to trust that toys we buy are safe. However, until that’s the case, parents need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys," Jahagirdar said.

Some toy companies, however, are pushing back to the claims of the report.

"Year after year, PIRG releases these reports and they’re misleading, they’re inaccurate and they unnecessarily alarm parents," said Rebecca Mond, a spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association, a trade group representing businesses involved in creating toys for children.

The association says its analysis of PIRG’s claims from 2008 through 2013 showed that not a single one of the alleged safety issues raised was based on testing done by a federal government-accredited lab.

Infantino, a toy-making company cited in the PIRG report, says it works hard to ensure the safety and quality of their products.

"We expect that children will put our products into their mouth and we go to great lengths to ensure compliance with all safety regulations," Infantino said in a statement.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 189,000 children under the age of 15 are sent to the emergency room for toy-related injuries. Children die from toy-related injuries every year.

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