As a parent, you have to ensure that your children are safe at all times, whether at school, at home, outside or at friend's houses. By ensuring that wherever your child may be is a safe environment, it will keep them from harm. Babies and toddlers are more prone to injuries than other children due to their young age. Because they are so young, they will explore and interact with everything they touch and may not know the dangers. Babies are especially at risk because they will put anything in its mouth that it finds. Protecting our children from these kinds of danger is one of the most important responsibilities of a parent.

Issues to keep in mind when taking care of children:

Keep small objects off the floor and the surrounding areas where children play.

Toys which are designed for older children should be kept away from babies and toddlers.

Given age recommendations on labels should always be followed; these recommendations are based on safety concerns.

Toys owned by older children should be kept away from younger children.

Always keep an eye on your baby and toddler when they are playing with toys.

It is observed that children of 3 years and younger are involved in nearly 50 percent of toy related injuries and almost 90 percent of toy-related deaths. This makes toys one of the main causes of injuries to babies and toddlers. Most of these toy related injuries are due to unsafe toys, inappropriate toys and insufficient supervision.

Issues to keep in mind when purchasing toys for children:

Always read the label on toys.

When shopping for toys, select only those which suit your child's age, skills and interests.

Take note of the age recommendation on the toy as it is for their safety. Avoid letting younger children play with older siblings of friends toys if not suitable for their age.

Some materials made from toys can be known to cause poisoning to your child.

Packaging and boxes of the toys should be immediately disposed of as if they are swallowed can lead to risk of suffocation and choking.

Toys with sharp edges, tiny parts, and loose parts are proven to be most dangerous to children and should be avoided upon purchasing.

A major concern among parents are unsafe toys and it should be taken seriously as it can cause injuries which can lead to death. By following the guidelines above we can be sure to pick toys which are fun, entertaining, educational as well as safe for our child to play with.