Don’t be misled: children’s antibacterial toys are not absolutely safe.
In caring for the healthy development of the child, parents tend to be careful and select the items they are exposed to. Today, there are more and more children’s toys in the market under the banner of “anti-bacterial” and a number of businesses claim that the use of antibacterial toys by children is safer and less contagious, a statement that has convinced many parents. However, this is actually a mistake.
Antibacterial toys typically contain bacteria by adding antibacterial agents. But that doesn’t mean that children use antibacterial toys. First, antibacterials are not equivalent to sterilization. Even if toys have anti-bacterial properties, they can only reduce the number of bacteria and not completely eliminate them. During the play, children are exposed to various environments, such as the ground, desktops, etc., and will soon be contaminated with bacteria again. Moreover, the child’s hand touches the toy and touches his/her nose, nose, eyes, etc., and the bacteria are still likely to cause infection in the child.
More crucial is the potential risk of antibacterial agents used in antibacterial toys. Some antibacterials may cause an allergic reaction to children. The child ‘ s skin is tender, the immune system is not fully developed, and long-term exposure to toys containing some antibacterial agents can result in allergies such as skin itching, red and rash. This risk is higher, especially for children who are themselves allergic. In addition, part of the antibacterial agent may cause damage to the body organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract, if the child is mised.
In fact, good hygiene practices are more important for the prevention of bacterial infections in children than relying on antibacterial toys. To teach children to wash their hands before and after playing, they can effectively remove bacteria and viruses from their hands and reduce the risk of disease transmission. Toys are regularly cleaned and disinfected, and most bacteria can be removed by ordinary washing methods, such as washing them with soap and water, washing them and then drying them in the sun, and this method is safe and without side effects.
In selecting toys for their children, parents should not focus solely on whether the toys are resistant to bacteria, but rather on the material safety of the toys, their quality and their compatibility with the child ‘ s age and hobby. For example, toys made of materials such as environmentally clean plastics and natural wood are selected to avoid the purchase of toys with sharp edges and easy to remove small parts, and to prevent children from being injured or eaten during play.
On the path to child-rearing, we are often influenced by the promotion of products, one of which is the statement that “children are safer with antibacterial toys without infection”, but it is highly misleading. Today, in the market, anti-bacterial toys are packaged by merchants as a magic tool for the health of children, which is not the case.
Antibacterial toys, while to some extent inhibiting bacteria from growing, must not guarantee that the child is completely free from the disease. The complexity of living conditions, the continued accumulation of bacteria on toys, the frequent contact of children with their mouths and noses, etc., after touching toys, and the risk of disease intrusion remain. Moreover, some of the antibacterial toys added to the chemical for antibacterial effects may pose a potential threat to the health of the child, such as certain antibacterial agents that may cause skin allergies, rashes, itchings, etc., and damage to the tender internal organs of the child if the child is not careful to swallow.
We must therefore remain rational and not be deceived by such false propaganda. Emphasis should be placed on developing a good practice of hand-washing for children, and careful hand-washing before and after play can be effective in reducing the spread of the disease. In the choice of toys, priority should be given to the safety of the material, the stability of the structure and its suitability for the age and interest of the child, rather than to the anti-bacterial characteristic alone. At the same time, regular cleaning of toys, using such methods as gentle soap wipe or high-temperature disinfection, can create a clean and safe playing field for children, where they can play and grow up in a disease-free environment.
