Between 2015 and 2018, U.S. children and adolescents ages 0-19 sustained over 1 million toy-related injuries that were treated in emergency departments. This infographic provides data on categories of toys involved in injuries and differences in toy-related injures for males and females.
Toy Injuries in U.S. Children: Know the Facts
Between 2015 and 2018, U.S. children and adolescents ages 0-19 sustained over 1 million toy-related injuries that were treated in emergency departments. Common injury diagnoses related to toy injuries are laceration, contusion/abrasion, fracture, strain/sprain, internal injury, foreign body, and other.1
Toy Injuries by Sex
Overall, between ages 0-19, males sustain more toy related-injuries that are treated in the emergency department (ED) than females.
| Gender | % of Injuries |
|---|---|
| Female | 34.7% |
| Male | 65.4% |
Top 5 Toy Categories Associated with Nearly Two-Thirds of ED-Treated Injuries
MALES
- Skateboard - 29.2%
- Standup Scooter, unpowered - 14.8%
- Balls, other or not specified - 6.1%
- Toy vehicles - 4%
- Building sets - 3.5%
FEMALES
- Skateboard -14.8%
- Standup Scooter, unpowered - 17.9%
- Balls, other or not specified - 8.0%
- Toy vehicles - 2.2%
- Building sets - 2.7%
Toy-related injuries differ for males and females in different age groups.
| Age | Male |
|---|---|
| 0 | 2.1% |
| 1-4 | 30.5% |
| 5-9 | 23.4% |
| 10-14 | 24.0% |
| 15-19 | 20.0% |
| Age | Female |
|---|---|
| 0 | 2.8% |
| 1-4 | 33.8% |
| 5-9 | 29.3% |
| 10-14 | 21.9% |
| 15-19 | 12.2% |
For males, toy-related injuries are highest between ages 1-4 and slowly decline with age.
For females, toy-related injuries are highest between ages 1-4 and rapidly decline with age.
Skateboards are related to approximately 1 in 3 toy-related ED injuries for males.
Scooters are related to approximately 1 in 5 toy-related ED injuries for females.
Source and More Information
Source: 2015-2018 NEISS, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
For resources on preventing toy-based injuries, please visit:
Children’s Safety Network https://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/
Safe Kids Worldwide https://www.safekids.org/safetytips/field_risks/toy-safety
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/toys
December 2019
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Child and Adolescent Injury and Violence Prevention Resource Centers Cooperative Agreement (U49MC28422) for $5,000,000 with 0 percent financed with non-governmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.