The Most Dangerous Toys of 2012

The Most Dangerous Toys of 2012 - Consumer watchdogs have put these toys on their 2012 Dangerous Toys lists. (Photo: Fisher Price and Hasbro)Dora the Explorer guitars and backpacks, toy food, Power Rangers helmets, and Incredible Hulk hands are among the toys that consumer watchdogs have listed among their most-dangerous toys of 2012.

While the U.S Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) admits that toys today are safer than they've ever been before, there are still dangerous and/or toxic toys on store shelves, the group warned in their 27th annual "Trouble in Toyland" report, which they released on Tuesday.

 

Consumer watchdogs have put these toys on their 2012 Dangerous Toys lists. (Photo: Fisher Price and Hasbro)

"The main trend that we saw this year was that we didn't find as many toxic toys as we thought we would," Nasima Hossain, a public health advocate with PIRG said during a recent press conference. "We should be able to trust that the toys we buy are safe. However, until that's the case, parents need to watch out for common hazards when shopping for toys."

Among those hazards: high-powered magnets, such as those sold as Bucky Ball. The sets are aimed at adults, but small kids often find the tiny round magnets irresistible; the government estimates 1,700 emergency-room visits between 2009 and 2011 were caused by the magnets being swallowed by kids age 4 to 12 years old (older kids would use the ball-shaped magnets to mimicking tongue piercings). The magnets can stick together inside the stomach or intestine, causing pinching or perforations.

"The rising number of magnet injuries in children and teenagers suggests that the sale of high-powered magnets should be prohibited," Dr. Bryan Rudolph, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow at Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York and a member of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, said in a statement. "In the meantime, the best defense against high-powered magnet ingestion and a trip to the emergency department is to make sure they are not present where children, live, visit or play."

The report also found toys that are "potentially harmful" to children's ears because they exceed the current noise standards, small parts in or on toys intended for toddlers, and toys with lead or phthalate levels higher than allowed limits.

The group took a look at 200 toys purchased at stores like Toys R Us and Target, as well as dollar stores. Here are the top offenders:

Dora Backpack, price not available, by Global Design Concepts Inc. (high Phthalate levels)

• Dora Tunes Guitar, $22.39, by Fisher Price (excessively loud)
• FunKeys, $9.99, by B. Lively (excessively loud)
• Snake Eggs, $1, by GreenBrier International Inc. (ingestion hazard)
• Morphbot, $6, by GreenBrier International Inc (high lead levels)
• Just Like Home 120-piece Super Play Food sets, $19.99, by Toys R Us (choking hazards)
• Pullback dragster cars, $4.99, by Z Wind Ups (choking hazards, warning labels too small to read)

"Parents and toy givers need to remember that while the CPSC is doing a good job, no government agency tests all toys before they hit store shelves. Consumers should also remember that toys that are not on our list of examples could also pose hazards," Hossain said. "The message of today is clear. Parents have to stay vigilant. We cannot and must not accept any weakening of our consumer and public health safeguards because they protect young children, America's littlest consumers."

Also on Tuesday, Boston-based consumer watchdog World Against Toys Causing Harm released their annual "10 Worst Toys" list. (You can find last year's list here.) Their roundup focuses on toys that are aimed at older kids and widely available in big box stores and online:

• Magnetic Fishing Game, $1.77, by Kole Imports (choking hazard)
• Inflatable Bongo Ball, $49.99, by Toys R Us (impact injuries)
• Dart Zone Quick Fire 12 dart gun, $19.32, by Prime Time Toys Ltd. (eye injuries)
• Spinner Shark 4-Wheel Kneeboard, $59.97, by FuzionNextsport (impact injuries)
• Explore & Learn Helicopter, $15.99, by V Tech (strangulation hazard)
• N-Force Vendetta Double Sword, $19.99, by Hasbro (impact injuries)
• Water Balloon Launcher, $21.99, by Water Sports LLC (choking hazard, facial injuries)
• Power Rangers Super Samurai Shogun Helmet, $29.99, by Bandai (puncture wound,
• impact injuries)
• Playful Xylophone, $29.99, by P'Kolino (choking hazard)
• The Avengers Gamma Green Smash Fists, $16.99, by Hasbro (impact injuries)

( Parenting )

READ MORE - The Most Dangerous Toys of 2012

Contraception could be free under health care law

Contraception could be free under health care law - Fifty years after the pill, another birth control revolution may be on the horizon: free contraception for women in the U.S., thanks to the new health care law.

That could start a shift toward more reliable — and expensive — forms of birth control that are gaining acceptance in other developed countries.

But first, look for a fight over social mores.

In this May 28, 1999 file photo, a new birth control pill container designed to look like a woman's

A panel of experts advising the government meets in November to begin considering what kind of preventive care for women should be covered at no cost to the patient, as required under President Barack Obama's overhaul.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., author of the women's health amendment, says the clear intent was to include family planning.

But is birth control preventive medicine?

Conflicting answers frame what could be the next clash over moral values and a health law that passed only after a difficult compromise restricting the use of public money for abortions.

For many medical and public health experts, there's no debate.

"There is clear and incontrovertible evidence that family planning saves lives and improves health," said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. David Grimes, an international family planning expert who teaches medicine at the University of North Carolina. "Contraception rivals immunization in dollars saved for every dollar invested. Spacing out children allows for optimal pregnancies and optimal child rearing. Contraception is a prototype of preventive medicine."

But U.S. Catholic bishops say pregnancy is a healthy condition, not an illness. In comments filed with the Department of Health and Human Services, the bishops say they oppose any requirement to cover contraceptives or sterilization as preventive care.

"We don't consider it to be health care, but a lifestyle choice," said John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, a Philadelphia think tank whose work reflects church teachings. "We think there are other ways to avoid having children than by ingesting chemicals paid for by health insurance."

So far, most other religious conservatives have stayed out of the debate, though that could change. Some say they are concerned about any requirement that might include the morning-after pill. The Food and Drug Administration classifies it as birth control; some religious conservatives see it as an abortion drug.

Jeanne Monahan, a health policy expert at the conservative Family Research Council, said her group would oppose any mandate that lacks a conscience exemption for moral and religious reasons. She said there's "great suspicion" that a major abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, is leading the push for free birth control.

As recently as the 1990s, many health insurance plans didn't even cover birth control. Protests, court cases, and new state laws led to dramatic changes. Today, almost all plans now cover prescription contraceptives. So does Medicaid, the health care program for low-income people.

The use of birth control is "virtually universal" in the U.S., according to a government report this summer from the National Center for Health Statistics. Nearly 93 million prescriptions for contraceptives were dispensed in 2009, according to IMS Health, a market analysis firm. Generic versions of the pill are available at Walmart stores, for example, for $9 a month.

Still, about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and many occur among women using some form of contraception. The government says the problem is rarely the birth control method, but "inconsistent or incorrect use," such as forgetting to take a pill.

Advocates say free birth control would begin to address the problem.

"We can look at other countries where birth control is available for no cost, and what we see are lower pregnancy rates, lower abortion rates and lower teen pregnancy," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood.

It would remove a cost barrier that may be keeping women away from more reliable long-acting birth control, and also affects those who don't do well on inexpensive generics.

A major research study now taking place in St. Louis provides a glimpse of how things might change.

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project is providing free birth control to as many as 10,000 women, tracking their decisions and the results. About 70 percent have chosen long-acting contraceptives such as IUDs (intrauterine devices) or implants, which are reversible and have a much lower failure rate than pills or condoms. The proportion of U.S. women using such methods remains low; part of the reason seems to be higher upfront cost.

"The shift we need to see in the United States is a shift away from methods like the pill and condoms to the most effective methods, like implants and IUDs," said Dr. Jeffrey Peipert, a principal investigator on the study. "And we'll only see that shift if somebody is willing to pay for it."

How the Obama administration will apply the law remains to be seen. It could allow insurance plans wide discretion on meeting the coverage requirement. A panel convened by the Institute of Medicine will hold its first meeting Nov. 16 to begin work on recommendations to HHS. The department has until next August to make its decision. ( Associated Press )

READ MORE - Contraception could be free under health care law

Avoid Thank-You Note Hell

Avoid Thank-You Note Hell.

Step 1: Grab your address list

Remember when you (or a family member) gathered your guests’ names and addresses when you sent off those wedding invites? Grab that list so you don’t have to backtrack. If you can print them off your computer with a label-making program, half of your work is done already! By the way, if you used the Guest List Manager on The Knot, log into your address book on The Nest. All of your contacts will be there; it’ll keep track of the gifts and addresses for you!

Step 2: Get your gift-givers straight

Most gift registries keep a master list of who gave you what, so print out a copy. For all the people who went off your registry, the sooner you jot down what they gave you, the better (before postwedding brain freeze sets in).

Step 3: Divide and conquer

Split up the task with your spouse during commercial breaks (have him do his friends and family, and you do yours). Try for 10 a night. Is one of you on a writer’s strike? At least agree to sign the card so both of your names are there. Hint: The person who doesn’t write the cards becomes the envelope-licker and stamp-sticker.

Step 4: Start writing

Just like you don't want to open a boring gift, no one wants to read a boring thank-you. Say why you love the item, thank them for their support, or mention something funny, like how they were a dance machine at your reception. If the gift was money, mention how you plan to use it (house down payment, amazing honeymoon). Once it’s signed and sealed, put a fat checkmark next to the guest's name and beg your new spouse for a quickie hand-massage. Phew, just a few more to go! ( thenest.com )

READ MORE - Avoid Thank-You Note Hell

Ten Signs You've Got the Postwedding Blues

Ten Signs You've Got the Postwedding Blues. So you get married and a funny thing happens—you suddenly have tons of time on your hands! All those hours you spent planning the perfect wedding have become big holes in your calendar. Admit it: You kind of miss stressing out over which flowers to use in your centerpieces and googling the best hairstyles to wear with a veil (ahem, while at work). Hey, it’s okay to be a little bummed now that the big day has passed, but here’s how to tell if you’ve gone totally over the edge.

1. You decide to turn your veil into a pretty lace curtain (and then secretly stand under it and recite your wedding vows when you think no one could possibly be watching).

2. You answer questions with “I do” instead of “yes”—which is driving your friends, family and coworkers up the wall (and it’s why nobody’s in a hurry to return your calls).

3. Your new favorite hobby is watching the raw footage of your wedding video on repeat while chowing down on a slice of stale cake.

4. You’ll no longer leave the house without something old, new, borrowed and blue.

5. You host a dinner party re-creating the food at your reception, giving the option of chicken, fish or steak.

6. You’re planning the weddings of everyone you know who’s had a significant other for more than a month. Okay, a week.

7. You now call all of your vacations “honeymoons,” including when you’re just going home to see your parents for a few days.

8. You order your signature cocktail when out at your favorite bar—never mind that the “Lovetini” isn’t exactly on the menu.

9. You buy the chic paper lanterns you see at a flea market because they would’ve been just perfect for your cocktail hour.

10. You invite your married girlfriends over for a “wear your wedding dress” party and play all the music from your reception. ( thenest.com )

READ MORE - Ten Signs You've Got the Postwedding Blues

Ancient volcano's devastating effects confirmed

Ancient volcano's devastating effects confirmed. 73,000 years ago, global temperatures dropped by as much as 28 degrees . A massive volcanic eruption that occurred in the distant past killed off much of central India's forests and may have pushed humans to the brink of extinction, according to a new study that adds evidence to a controversial topic.

The Toba eruption, which took place on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia about 73,000 years ago, released an estimated 192 cubic miles of ash into the atmosphere that blanketed the skies and blocked out sunlight for six years. In the aftermath, global temperatures dropped by as much as 28 degrees Fahrenheit and life on Earth plunged deeper into an ice age that lasted around 1,800 years.

NASA

This satellite image shows smoldering underground fires that took place at Toba in 1997. A devastating volcanic eruption occurred at the site roughly 73,000 years ago.

In 1998, Stanley Ambrose, an anthropology professor at the University of Illinois, proposed in the Journal of Human Evolution that the effects of the Toba eruption and the Ice Age that followed could explain the apparent bottleneck in human populations that geneticists believe occurred between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. The lack of genetic diversity among humans alive today suggests that during this time period humans came very close to becoming extinct.

To test his theory, Ambrose and his research team analyzed pollen from a marine core in the Bay of Bengal that had a layer of ash from the Toba eruption. The researchers also compared carbon isotope ratios in fossil soil taken from directly above and below the Toba ash in three locations in central India — some 3,000 miles from the volcano — to pinpoint the type of vegetation that existed at various locations and time periods.

Heavily forested regions leave carbon isotope fingerprints that are distinct from those of grasses or grassy woodlands.

The tests revealed a distinct change in the type of vegetation in India immediately after the Toba eruption. The researchers write in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology that their analysis indicates a shift to a "more open vegetation cover and reduced representation of ferns," which grow in humid conditions, all of which "would suggest significantly drier conditions in this region for at least 1,000 years after the Toba eruption."

The dryness probably also indicates a drop in temperature "because when you turn down the temperature you also turn down the rainfall," Ambrose said. "This is unambiguous evidence that Toba caused deforestation in the tropics for a long time."

He also concluded that the disaster may have forced the ancestors of modern humans to adopt new cooperative strategies for survival that eventually permitted them to replace Neanderthals and other archaic human species.

Although humans survived the event, researchers have detected increasing activity underneath a caldera at Yellowstone National Park, where some suspect another supervolcanic eruption will eventually take place. Though not expected to occur anytime soon, a Yellowstone eruption could coat half the United States in a layer of ash up to 3 feet (1 meter) deep. (Livescience.com )

READ MORE - Ancient volcano's devastating effects confirmed

Don't stress this busy holiday season!

Feel Instant Calm. Don't stress this busy holiday season!. Here are 6 quick tips to help you in any tough situation.

6 stress-less tricks

Even though you can flip on the tube and watch Emeril, Guy, Jamie or Tyler whip up a mean meal, off the Food Network it's still women who do the lion's share of the food shopping, cooking and cleanup—especially around the holidays. But you don't have to resign yourself to feeling frazzled. "What distinguishes one person's meltdown from another's indifference is their perception of control over the situation," says Paul J. Rosch, M.D., president of the American Institute of Stress. Try these strategies and you'll be prepared to shrug off any tough situation this busy season throws at you:

1. Tea off

In a study at University College in London, 75 volunteers drank the equivalent of a cup of black tea before completing two stressful tasks. Afterward, their cortisol levels dropped an average of 47 percent, compared with 27 percent for the people who didn't imbibe.

2. Just say " it!"

Swearing reduces stress, according to research published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal. We don't suggest dropping the F bomb in the middle of an intimate dinner party, but a strategically placed expletive in the privacy of your car, kitchen or bedroom can help you blow off steam.

3. Press the issue

Acupressure is a quick and effective tension releaser—it can reduce stress by up to 39 percent, according to researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. For fast relief, massage the fleshy area between your thumb and index finger for 20 to 30 seconds.

4. Treat yourself

Flavonoids in cocoa relax your body's blood vessels so that arteries can dilate, reducing blood pressure, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. Look for dark chocolate or cocoa powder, which have more of the stress-busting compound than milk chocolate, and keep it to one serving.

5. Take a YouTube-timeout

Just the anticipation of laughing significantly decreases levels of the stress hormones dopac, cortisol and epinephrine, according to researchers at Loma Linda University in California.

6. Chew the fat

According to a study from the University of Pittsburgh, people with the highest blood levels of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids are happier, less impulsive and generally more agreeable. Boost your mood by adding foods rich in omega-3's—salmon, herring and sardines top the list—to your holiday feasts. Or try a daily supplement of 400 milligrams each of EPA and DHA fish oils.

( msn.com )

READ MORE - Don't stress this busy holiday season!

Vietnam sees the funny side of sex

Vietnam sees the funny side of sex. Vinh, a 24-year-old man, says his parents never talked to him about sex.

"But they would make jokes about it so that I know what they expect from me," he says.

Vinh is from Hue, one of the most traditional cities in Vietnam, but this attitude is found throughout the country, according to the authors of the first survey into sex and sexual attitudes carried out in the communist state for 50 years.

By turning it into a joke, some parents and children find it is easier to talk about sex without being judged or getting embarrassed.

This attitude seems to apply to all - young and old - in Vietnam.

But for some, the subject really is no laughing matter. The communist state is deeply conservative and sex is a highly sensitive subject.

Dilemmas

Economic liberalisation and development have made Vietnam a more open society and there has been a noticeable change in sexual behaviour.

Medical experts say increasing numbers of people are having sex below the age of consent, leading to rising numbers of unmarried women having abortions.

There is also the problem posed by unprotected sex and more people contracting HIV.

Faced with these dilemmas, there have been discussions about putting sex education on the school curriculum at an early age.

Based on the findings of the sex survey, some people think that may not be such a bad idea.

All male callers said that sex before marriage for men is normal and okay, but they would not want to get married to someone who has lost her virginity through sex Hong Hanh Radio presenter

Researchers spoke to 245 people in both rural and urban areas over six years.

They discovered that teenagers or young adults "never" or "hardly ever" talked to their parents about sex.

The parents too admit that they do not speak to their children about it.

For those who do feel they should discuss the subject with their children, just how to broach it is difficult.

Diep Hoa, a mother of two, is typical in this regard. She says she used a letter to talk to her 17-year-old daughter about sex.

"I wrote to her and gave the letter to her on the day she left home to go to study abroad. I told her that I would like her to read it while on the plane," explains Mrs Hoa.

"I mentioned a lot of things in the letter, including sex and relationships. I would like her to understand what love is, what sexual relationships are and the consequences when one loses control of their sexual desires."

Gender prejudice

The survey also found that what is okay for a man is not okay for a woman.

Hong Hanh is a 22-year-old presenter of a live radio programme on HIV and Aids prevention targeted at young people.

"All male callers said that sex before marriage for men is normal and okay, but they would not want to get married to someone who has lost her virginity through sex," Hanh says.

My parents say if you get her pregnant before marriage, you both won't be allowed to go in the house by the front door Vinh, Hue

According to Dr Khuat Thu Hong, one of the three authors of the research, "Vietnamese people have a very poor, misperceived and somehow one-sided view about sex, because there is no open or serious discussion of the matter."

She says this is very dangerous because "it leads to a lot of wrongly imposed sexual perceptions toward men and women, and it limits both sexes from enjoying a sexual relationship."

Some experts say that sex education, which is only taught in some schools, should be made compulsory because young people would benefit from the knowledge provided to them in a serious manner rather than through jokes.

However, there has been opposition to this suggestion from those who uphold what they call "traditional values".

The funny side

Teachers too find the subject highly embarrassing, and some parents and children see nothing wrong with discussing a highly taboo subject in a humorous way.

Back in his very traditional hometown, Vinh smiles and gives some examples of what his parents tell him.

Report author Dr Khuat Thu Hong says
sex should be taken seriously

"They say: 'If you get her pregnant before marriage, you both won't be allowed to go in the house by the front door', or 'you won't be allowed to go near our ancestors' altar'.

"Another favourite is: 'We will have to make a small shed near the pigsty for you to live in!'"

This indirect and light-hearted way that some parents use to talk to their children about sex as a means of educating them is also a warning to children of the consequences of sex before marriage.

But faced with rising underage sex and HIV, Dr Hong says it is about time that Vietnamese learned to talk openly about the subject.

And she hopes that the findings of the first sex survey in half a century will help change social perceptions and understanding of what remains an extremely delicate matter. / bbc

READ MORE - Vietnam sees the funny side of sex

Statement From the Center for Injury Research and Prevention

The following is a statement from the Center for Injury Research and Prevention:

Parents need to know -- car seats significantly reduce the chance that their child will be killed or injured in a crash.

Making sure your child is in the correct car seat for his age and size is the single most important decision you can make to protect your child from injury or death. Seat belts offer some protection, but using the appropriate child restraint is significantly more effective.

There is proof that car seats protect kids better than seat belts.

For more than a decade, we've studied hundreds of thousands of real-word crashes to understand how crash forces impact a child's growing body and how we can improve vehicles and child restraints to better protect children.

Each year, about 100 children ages 2-6 are killed while wearing seatbelts, 28 of whom (the size of a large classroom) would have been saved had they been using a child restraint. In addition, using the correct car seat for your child's age and size cuts his likelihood of being injured by at least half, when compared with a seat belt. (Durbin, Elliott, et al.)

Improvements are needed to make the rear seats of vehicles safer for children.

We agree with the "Freakonomics" authors' call-to-action to the automotive industry and government regulators to improve the backseat of vehicles so that the unique needs of children are taken into account. In fact, many scientists and engineers employed by the auto industry, car seat manufacturers, research centers, and governments around the world are working tirelessly to achieve this.

Such improvements take time.

Even if implemented today, improved restraints for children in the rear seats of vehicles won't affect the millions of cars already on the road. Until these improved restraints are available to all families, a child seat or booster seat is the right choice for your child at least up to their eighth birthday

Cost should not be a barrier to using a child seat or booster seat.

Car seats do not have to be expensive in order to be effective. Every seat on the market meets federal safety standards. Car seats can be purchased for as little as $50-$70, and boosters for as low as $20- $40. And at hospitals like ours, along with many local police departments, there are programs to help parents get the seats for free or at reduced cost.

Demonstration of a child in a booster seat vs. a seat belt during a crash:
Parents can learn about correct car seat selection and installation, learn about the research, and locate a child passenger safety technician by visiting www.chop.edu/carseat. / abcnews

READ MORE - Statement From the Center for Injury Research and Prevention

Child car seats save lives, right? Maybe not

Child car seats save lives, right? Maybe not, according to the authors of a new book, "SuperFreakonomics," who argue that seat belts work just as well as car seats on children more than 2 years old.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years old, and 8 to 14, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .

The NHTSA says car seats reduce fatalities by 54 percent. But it draws the comparison with children sitting in cars unrestrained and not using a seat belt.

A popular argument against using seat belts is that they do not fit kids properly. But "SuperFreakonomics" authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner claim that for children older than 2. there is no significant difference in the fatality rate between car seats and seat belts, 18.2 percent versus 18.1 percent respectively.

Levitt and Dubner commissioned their own crash test and found that for children 3 and 6 years old, seat belts work just as well as car seats.

"We're not telling people not to wear them," Levitt told "Good Morning America." Only that car seats are no safer than seat belts, Levitt said.

For 2-year-olds and younger, Levitt said definitely "do not throw out the car seats."

"The problems are often being addressed by solutions that are often not the best solutions," Dubner said. "If safety is the primary concern, there are better options."

But critics say that Dubner and Levitt's claims are wrong and misleading.

"It is simply false to suggest that seat belts are as good as car seats or booster seats at protecting young children in the event of a crash," Dr. Dennis Durbin at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said.

Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner raise the question of
whether children really need car seats, in their new book "SuperFreakonomics."

(AE Pictures Inc./Getty Images)

Critics Blast 'SuperFreakonomics' Findings

Durbin said that between 2000 and 2008 the number of children using car and booster seats have increased dramatically while the number of children killed in automobile crashes has declined by 45 percent.

Additionally, Kristy Arboghast, the director of engineering at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention, said crash tests cannot measure certain injuries.

"While crash tests serve a very important role in child restraint design, they only tell part of the story," Arboghast said. "The child crash test dummies don't have a way of presenting injuries to the belly. These are the second most common injury for children in seat belts." / abcnews

READ MORE - Child car seats save lives, right? Maybe not