Why are car seats and lead-free toys important for infant and toddler safety?

Car seats and lead-free toys are critical components of infant and toddler safety, as they directly mitigate the risk of severe injury and long-term developmental harm.

The Importance of Car Seats

Traffic accidents are a leading cause of accidental injury and death among children. The use of child safety seats is essential because they are specifically engineered to protect children during collisions. When used correctly, these restraints can reduce the risk of death in car accidents by as much as 71 percent for infants under one year of age.1

The Importance of Lead-Free Toys

Lead is a highly toxic metal that poses a severe threat to children under the age of six, a period when the brain and nervous system are still developing. Because infants and toddlers often explore their environment by mouthing objects, they are at high risk if they chew on toys containing lead-based paint. Exposure to lead can cause permanent damage, including:2
* Learning disabilities and slowed growth.2
* Blindness and deafness.2
* In extreme cases, convulsions, coma, and death.2

Eliminating lead from children's products is a vital public health measure to prevent these irreversible neurological and physiological injuries.32