Parents should always be careful when providing their childrenwith toys, but with the Christmas season right around the corner,those who plan on gifting the little ones in their lives with thelatest toys need to be aware of the risks.

And there are risks.

Despite consumer protection laws, companies continue to produceand import toys that are potentially hazardous for children,putting them at risk for injury—even death.

For example, in June a judge ordered four California-basedcompanies to stop importing, selling and distributing children’stoys in response to allegations that the companies were operatingin violation of federal consumer protection laws, knowinglyimporting toys that contained illegal levels of lead, phthalates,choking hazards and other harmful substances. Just last month, theConsumer Product Safety Commission announced McDonald’s wasrecalling 2.3 million Hello Kitty whistles given away in HappyMeals because portions of the toy could detach and create a chokinghazard.

[Related: Holidayshoppers beware: Here are 2014's most dangeroustoys]

These examples illustrate that manufacturers, in some cases,recall their products when it becomes clear that there are safetyhazards associated with a particular toy. Similarly, the courtsystem can halt the flow of production of unsafe toys by enforcingconsumer protection laws, such as the Consumer Product SafetyImprovement Act (CPSIA).

“Mandatory toy standards, lower lead and phthalate limits,independent third party testing, and increased port inspectionsstop more dangerous toys than ever before from reaching toyshelves," stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and generalcounsel at Consumer Federation of America (CFA).

Yet, many toys that present potential hazards to children makeit onto store shelves and into homes across the country. With thestart of the holiday season, more and more toys will be purchasedthis time of year, but not all of them may be safe. The recall ofmore than 11 million toys in 2014 demonstrates the need forconstant vigilance on behalf of the government agencies and thepublic to ensure that unsafe products do not make it into thousandsof American homes.

The Consumer Federation of America partnered with the U.S.Public Interest Group to release the 29^th Annual Surveyof Toy Safety, “Trouble in Toyland” this week to help consumersidentify potentially harmful products. The goal is to helpconsumers make informed decisions about toys and the associateddangers.

Among the toys surveyed this year, the report found numerouschoking hazards, as well as toys with concentrations of toxinsexceeding federal standards.

“Parents should avoid shopping at stores that have not adopted apublicly available corporate policy on toxics in their products,such as Walgreens,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar, U.S. PIRG PublicHealth Campaign Director. “Without such a policy, Walgreens doesnot play an active role in ensuring the safety of the products itsells. Instead, Walgreens leaves it up to manufacturers andsuppliers to ensure the safety of products.”

Standards for toy safety are enforced by the Consumer ProductSafety Commission (CPSC). Safety standards include limits on toxicsin children’s products, size requirements for toys for smallchildren, warning labels about choking hazards, measures to keepmagnets and batteries inaccessible, and noise limits.

Some of the most common dangers found in the study were:

• Lead. Childhood exposure to even low levels oflead can undermine development, which in turn can damage academicachievements and attentiveness. Unsafe levels of lead were found ina set of play sheriff and police badges.
• Chromium. Skin contact with chromium can causesevere allergic reactions, which can include anything from skinredness and irritation, to swelling, to ulcers. Chromium compoundsare also carcinogenic, and this year, lab tests revealed that atambourine marketed to children ages two and older containedchromium levels at nearly 10 times the legal limit.
• Phthalates. Exposure to phthalates at crucialdevelopmental stages can harm or hinder the development of the malereproductive system, and can be linked to the early onset ofpuberty. Lab tests confirmed that several toys in the studycontained high levels of banned phthalates, including a rubberduck, plastic-covered hairclips, and a Dora the Explorerbackpack.
• Small parts and pieces. Small parts and piecescan block a child’s airway and become a choke hazard. For children,especially under the age of three, this can be a potentially deadlyhazard. Shoppers in the study purchased a set of foam blocksmarketed toward children two and up that contained multiple smallparts that fit into a choke test cylinder. In addition, multipletoys studied contained near-small parts, which are pieces thatnearly fit into a choke tube, and could be potential chokinghazards.
• Small balls less than 1.75 inches in diameter.These balls can be a hazard for children three years old andyounger. Researchers found small balls that were not labeled withappropriate choke hazard warnings, and several small, rounded toys,such as toy food, could present the same choke hazard as smallballs, but are not labeled as hazardous.
• Balloons. Balloons can be easily inhaled whileattempting to inflate, and potentially can become stuck in achild’s throat. According to the survey, balloons are responsiblefor more choking deaths among children than any other toy orchildren’s product. But over the past several years, researcherscontinue to find balloons on store shelves marketed toward childrenunder the age of eight.
• Magnets. The study warns that when two or morepowerful magnets are swallowed, they can have fatal healthconsequences as their attractive forces draw them together insidethe body. This could potentially perforate the intestinal walls.Shoppers in the study purchased small, high-powered magnets,despite the fact that these products were recalled by theCPSC.
• Batteries. If batteries are ingested, chemicalreactions can burn through the esophagus and blood vessels, causingfatal internal bleeding. Shoppers in the study found a toy whalethat contained batteries that are accessible to small children andare almost small enough to constitute a choke hazard. The toy,while still on the shelves in America, has been recalled inAustralia because small children can easily remove thebatteries.
• Excessive noise. Exposure to excessive noisecan lead to hearing loss, which is especially problematic for youngchildren, as the loss of hearing at a young age has ramificationsfor speech development. In this year’s study, shoppers found toysthat are very loud, though not necessarily in violation of federallimits.

"Parents and all consumers should have more confidence in theproducts they may own or consider purchasing but should alsocontinue to carefully research and select the safest and mostappropriate gifts for the children on their gift lists,” Jahagirdarsaid. “Manufacturers should ensure they comply with the law andcontinued CPSC enforcement and adequate funding is necessary tofurther protect our nation's children."