Handing down your favourite childhood toys to your little one is a lovely way to bond with your children. But new research suggests that they can contain dangerous plastics and metals, so you might want to keep them safely in the attic instead.
Old Barbie dolls, Fisher Price Little People figures and My Little Pony dolls from 1970s and 1980s were among the vintage plastic toys found to contain toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium and even arsenic, which means that they wouldn't comply with modern-day US and European safety laws.
An alarming 1 in 4 toys tested contained more than 10 times current safety limits for lead, a third of non-vinyl toys had more lead and cadmium than currently thought safe, and a fifth contained arsenic - a highly poisonous chemical. The highest concentrations of cadmium and lead were found in yellow toys with some had up to 70 times the current limit for lead.
"Vintage plastic toys frequently contain toxic heavy metals, particularly lead or cadmium, at concentrations exceeding current US and European limits," US researchers from St Ambrose University, Iowa, wrote in the Journal of Environmental Health, according to the Independent. "Old toys are still in frequent use and thus present an exposure that may be overlooked for children.
"Given that vintage toys remain in widespread use, the results illuminate a potential source of heavy metal exposure."
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Toys over 25 years old are likely to have degraded over time and release small plastic particles as well as the toxic metals – and young children are particularly at risk from their effects. "The developing brains and bodies of infants and young children are especially vulnerable to toxic exposures because they absorb and retain lead more efficiently than adults," the researchers said.
"They are exposed to contaminated dust by playing close to the floor, they chew and occasionally swallow items, and they put their hands into their mouths after handling many toys."
The UK Toy Retailers Association recommends that parents check if individual toys are suitable before passing them on to their children. "Any vintage toy is not bound to and is not likely to comply with current regulations. If people are concerned about a toy, they would need to make their own investigations," a spokesman said. "There is clearly no guarantee that a toy from 20 years ago is going to comply – indeed the majority of plastic toys or painted toys would not comply."
Early this month Government safety inspectors found that 40 per cent of electronic toys on sale in the UK failed toxin safety tests.
In 1985, Fisher-Price trademarked "Little People" and formally changed the name of the brand. Today, Little People are known and sold throughout the world. A Nifty Station Wagon in mint condition, in the box, could command up to $1,000,000 among toy collectors.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Little_People_(toys)
figures and My Little Pony dolls from 1970s and 1980s were among the vintage plastic toys found to contain toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium and even arsenic, which means that they wouldn't comply with modern-day US and European safety laws.
When children create imaginary worlds and role play with dolls like Barbie, it prompts them to talk about thoughts about others' emotions and feelings. This can have positive long-lasting effects on children, building social and emotional processing social skills like empathy.
Common arguments for Barbie being a bad role model:
Unrealistic beauty standards: Barbie's physical appearance has long been criticized for promoting unrealistic beauty ideals that can impact children's self-esteem and body image.
“Barbie doll syndrome” (or simply “Barbie syndrome”) is a type of body dysmorphic disorder, which has been described as the drive to attain impossible standards of physical appearance such as that of the Barbie doll.
Old plastic is more likely to contain forever chemicals or even lead. Use your judgment—a recent-ish toy that's no longer in use from a family friend may be just fine.
The girls who viewed the images of Barbie had significantly lower scores on the Body Esteem scale after being exposed to the images, and indicated a preference for a thinner current body, and a thinner adult body.
In 1959, Barbie debuted at the American Toy Fair in New York City as a fashion doll for little girls. By 1963, feminists were protesting the improbably-curvy doll's body and sexualized origins. Find out more Barbie secrets—like her full name, and Ken's too.
Despite widely known research on the negative effects of Barbie, such as body dysmorphia and low self-esteem in girls, Dr. Rome contends that the Barbie movie helps counter those ills. Based on discussions with her colleagues, her patients and their parents, Dr.
Doctors Kenneth and Mamie Clark and "The Doll Test"
Clark used four dolls, identical except for color, to test children's racial perceptions. Their subjects, children between the ages of three to seven, were asked to identify both the race of the dolls and which color doll they prefer.
More like this. Toys over 25 years old are likely to have degraded over time and release small plastic particles as well as the toxic metals – and young children are particularly at risk from their effects.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have recently published an article in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances which shows that old toys and dress-up items may contain toxic chemicals that can cause cancer, damage DNA or disrupt the future reproductive capacities of children.
The only two methods to accurately test a toy for lead is through a certified XRF Analyzer or by certified laboratory. Although do-it-yourself kits are available, they do not indicate how much lead is present and their reliability at detecting low levels of lead has not been determined.
2. Social and Emotional Development. “Playing with dolls often involves creating relationships and enacting social situations,” Leaf says. “This kind of play helps children develop their social skills, empathy and emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills.
Previously, young girls only had access to baby dolls. They could only envision themselves as mothers and homemakers — unlike boys, who could imagine themselves as cowboys or doctors or astronauts. With the introduction of Barbie, girls could now imagine they were grown-up women with careers.
Barbie is not merely a toy; she represents a powerful symbol of inspiration and empowerment for generations of children. As she has evolved over the years, Barbie has broken barriers and encouraged girls to dream big, teaching them that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
Research has shown that mothers of infants who have Kewpie doll-like appearances show more affection, play more often with, and spend more time engaged with their baby than mothers of less attractive babies, despite the common belief that parents will treat their child the same, regardless of appearance.
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