Congratulations! You just had your first child, and you have started parenting. There're many things you may not have known about what it entails taking care of your child. Nonetheless, don't worry, you will know all about it with time. Among the most significant issues about babies are toys. The kangaroo or plush bear of your child is looking cuddly and cute. However, how safe is it for the baby? Here are a few things you should know about the safety of your child's stuffed toys.
Eyes and Noses
When buying stuffed toys for your baby, you need to avoid features made of beads or any other small object that could end up in your baby's mouth. However, don't just check for the hard eyes or noses. Make sure that any other decorations, accessories, or clothing don't have these features as well. You need to steer clear off any items sewn or glued to the toy that may end up in the mouth of your baby.
Construction of the Toy
You need to ensure that the toy you're getting for your child is safely constructed. This means that the seams should be sturdy enough to keep the stuffing inside because the strength of the seams can be an issue on soft toys. That is, split seams can cause the stuffing to come out, which could pose a choking hazard to your baby. Therefore, you need to ask your supplier or inquire from the shop where you're buying the toys about the stitch density and seam allowance before buying the toys.
Safe construction also includes metal detection. Toys should be passed through metal detectors, so you should be wary of metals and wires. You need to check everywhere, including the tails, ears, and paws for wires or sharp metals. Even if there's "fur" covering the wire, there are high chances that the wire will poke through it and cause injuries to your baby.
Fabrics
You need to choose toys with suitable materials. Long pile fabrics may not be so good for your little one because loose fibres or tufts may pose serious choking hazards, especially if your baby is still too young, for instance, about a year old. The fabric should also be flame retardant. This doesn't mean that you will be walking with your baby around fire, but it pays to be cautious. Therefore, you can look for polyester or nylon because they are less flammable than their wool or silk counterparts among others.
If you're looking to purchase soft toys, visit Elka.
