Are toys available in the market safe for children? A study from Sri Lanka

Background: Toys are an essential part of childhood. A piece of toy can cause disastrous effects, if safety precautions are not taken. Local data on toy related injury to children are lacking. Labels are the first and best source of information on the purchase of a packed toy. Composite instructions on safety of the toy should be available on the label of each and every piece of toy for the customer to decide on a purchase.
Objectives: Assessing the safety of toys available in the local market and the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of parents on the safety of such toys.
Method: Labels of 400 toy pieces in the local market, belonging to 16 categories were examined. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered, pre-tested, questionnaire developed based on International Standard ISO 8124-1, European Union standards and ASTM-USA standards. Subsequently, we assessed KAP concerning toy safety from 400 parents of children admitted to hospital or attending clinics or outpatient departments of Colombo South Teaching Hospital. Only parents with at least one child 1 to 5 years old were included in the study.  
Results: The presence of the label as well as standard general label characteristics were satisfactory in the sample. Yet, on further analysis, specific safety instructions for different toy categories, especially toys with sharp edges, crib gyms, simulated protective toys, as well as art and craft material were displayed very sub-optimally or were totally absent in the sample. In our next study, parental knowledge and awareness on toy safety were lacking generally and especially in electronic toys with lead batteries (72%), projectile toys (69%) or lead and chemical containing toys (60%), which could lead to deleterious effects. Yet, they showed the willingness for improvement in knowledge hence the practices.
Conclusions: Instructions regarding specific toy categories were sub-optimal. Knowledge and attitudes of parents regarding safety of specific toys did not meet satisfactory standards.