The non-profit Texas Public Interest Research Group says despite new laws to make toys safer, parents still need to be on the lookout for dangerous toys this holiday season.
The group, part of U.S. PIRG, released its 24th annual survey on toy safety, called Trouble in Toyland, on Tuesday in Austin and cities across the United States.
"This should be something on every parent's mind," said Melissa Cubria of TexPIRG. "You never know what your toy is going to contain."
Cubria brought a half dozen toys to a news conference she said her group bought at Texas stores. They included a toy dinosaur whose roar the group says is too loud for young ears, a girl's charm made with a large amount of lead and tiny parts of toys that would easy for a young child to swallow.
"Some of the greatest dangers are with the most simple toys that don't involve any great complexity," said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), who attended the news conference.
TexPIRG says latex balloons also pose a problem, because young children often try to lick or take a bite from them. When the balloons pop, the remnants can become a choking hazard.
Cubria says it is illegal to make or sell children's toys out of lead, but she says the government doesn't inspect many toys. She says that means it's largely up to parents to check out toys and make sure they are safe for their children.
"There are still many small toys and charms that are made that contain lead or lead paint, particularly those that are imported, and nobody wants to give their child a present and find out six months later that that present, that toy, made their child sick with lead poisoning," said Dr. Pat Crocker, head of emergency medicine at Dell Children's Medical Center.
The group has a new website -- toysafety.mobi -- that is easily accessible from smart phones. Cubria says parents can use the website while in toy stores to determine if particular items pose a danger.
