In the final, frenzied shopping days before Christmas, impulse buying often prompts us to follow our hearts rather than our heads. When shopping for adults, this just means your pocketbook will empty faster. When buying for children, however, safety is the primary concern. Each year, thousands of children wind up in emergency rooms as a result of avoidable toy-related injuries. By choosing their gifts with care and supervising play, we can keep child hospital visits down.

Above all, keep in mind the child’s age, size and skill level. Choose quality design and construction. Make sure that instructions for use are clear to you and the child. Discard plastic wrappings immediately before they become deadly playthings.

Read labels and heed warnings such as “Not recommended for children under 3.” Look for safety labels including “Flame retardant-Flame resistant” on fabric products and “Washable-hygienic materials” on stuffed toys and dolls. Check stuffed toys, which may have wires inside that could cut or stab if exposed.

Check toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. Watch for plastic toys that are fine indoors, but in cold temperatures shatter easily, forming sharp edges and points.

Damaged and dangerous toys should be thrown away immediately.

The law bans small parts in new toys intended for children under age 3. This includes removable eyes and noses on stuffed toys and dolls, and small, removable squeakers on squeeze toys. But older toys can break to reveal parts small enough to be swallowed or become lodged in a child’s windpipe, ears or nose.

Toy caps, noisy guns and other toys can produce sounds at levels that can damage hearing. The law requires the following label on boxes of caps producing noise above a certain level: “WARNING – Do not fire closer than one foot to the ear. Do not use indoors.”

Toys with long strings or cords may be dangerous for infants and very young children since they may become wrapped around a child’s neck, causing strangulation. Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops or ribbons in cribs or playpens where children can become entangled. Remove crib gyms for the crib when the child can pull up on hands and knees; some children have strangled when they fell across crib gyms stretched across the crib.

Projectiles such as missiles or flying toys can become weapons and injure eyes in particular. Arrows or darts used by children should have soft cork tips, rubber suction cups or protective tips to prevent injury. Check to be sure the tips are secure. Avoid dart guns or other toys that might be capable of firing articles not intended for use in the toy, such as pencils or nails.

Keep toys designed for older children out of the hands of little ones. Follow age recommendation labels and teach older children to keep their toys away from younger siblings.

Even balloons, when uninflated, can choke or suffocate if young children try to swallow them. More children have suffocated on balloons and pieces of balloons than any other type of toy.

Electric toys that are improperly constructed, wired or misused can shock or burn. Electric toys must meet mandatory requirements for maximum surface temperatures, electrical construction and prominent warning labels. Toys with heating elements are recommended only for children over 8 years old. Children should be taught to use electric toys properly, cautiously and under adult supervision.

Infant toys, such as rattles, squeeze toys and teethers, should be large enough so that they cannot become lodged in an infant’s throat. Keep hard candies out of infants’ and toddlers’ reach as they also pose a tempting and dangerous choking risk.

Best wishes for safe and happy holidays from all of us at COMBAT.

For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.