Parents warned: Poisonous dolls with cancer and asthma risk on sale

Central
West Midlands
soft toys
Dangerous dolls
Monday 22 December 2014 at 7:56am

These were some of the dolls containing which were recalled last year over poison fears Credit: ITV News Central

Parents are being warned about the potential dangers caused by a poisonous substance in some cheap plastic dolls on sale, which can lead to damage to the reproductive system and an increased risk of cancer and asthma.

Trading Standards Officers from a number of local authorities across the West Midlands region purchased the toys from shops and markets and submitted them for testing to find out whether they contained chemicals dangerous to children called phthalates.

One fifth of the dolls purchased were found not to comply with the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 because of the presence of these chemicals in excess of legal limits.

The Trading Standards teams that purchased dolls which failed are now working to ensure that these are removed from sale.

What are phthalates?

Phthalates are used to soften plastics.
If a child chews a toy containing them it can absorb them through its mouth.
There is evidence that phthalates can lead to damage to the reproductive system and an increased risk of cancer and asthma.
The impact of exposure to phthalates is likely to occur in the longer term and whilst children may be exposed to the chemicals it is unlikely to be reported by the parents because no immediate effect on the child will be observed.