You’re rushing off to the toy shop for that special present to make any child jump for joy. But wait a minute. How prepared are you? Have you read the report Toy Related Deaths and Injuries 2013, from the US-based Consumer Product Safety Commission? Or did you see the latest research from the BMJ on the health risks of Nintendos? Or the report this month from Clinical Pediatrics showing that the rate of toy-related injuries among children and adolescents increased by 40% between 1990 and 2011? No one wants to be an elf and safety bore and wrap our children in cotton wool but shouldn’t we try to be responsible Santas?

The solution

The American report on deaths from toys shows they are rare, and mostly from choking on small parts – so buying age-appropriate toys is essential. Your two-year-old niece may be incredibly advanced but she is developmentally programmed to put small things in her mouth. Some children (mine) carry on doing this until they are five – so know your child. Watch out for button batteries and burst balloons – both highly edible.

The biggest cause of injury, according to this report, and research from Clinical Pediatrics, are ride-on toys, including scooters and powered vehicles such as Barbie Jeeps. They account for 43% of children’s hospital admissions. Injuries included cuts, sprains, fractures and head injuries. Most were from falls but some were from collisions. Dr Gary Smith, one of the authors of the Clinical Pediatrics paper, advises anyone buying a scooter to also get a helmet. And just as dog owners say: “It’s not the dog that’s dangerous, it’s the owner,” so it could be the need for parental supervision rather than the toy that’s to blame.

The health risks from gaming have changed as consoles have developed. “Playstation thumb” – in which players’ thumbs became blistered and flaking – was reported in the South African Medical Journal, while “Nintendinitis” was a RSI-type injury affecting the wrist and elbow. Enthusiastic Wii Sports usage has seen televisions destroyed by flying remotes and a variety of injuries, including fractured limbs, dislocated knee caps, torn knee ligaments and facial injuries. A 55-year-old woman suffered a massive bleed into her lung after falling on to her sofa while playing Wii tennis and a seven-year-old boy lost the sight in one eye after he struck it with a remote. Wii Sports seems to be a common theme in injuries. The BMJ paper, however, says that the risk is low, especially if people don’t swing the controller too hard, be careful where they stand and take frequent breaks.

So the only thing left to worry about is cooking the turkey thoroughly and pacing the drinking. Happy healthy Christmas.