Findings from research at the University of Leeds could be used to improve toy safety and prevent injury and even deaths from choking among the under fives.

Dr Gary Mountain, who led the UK's first research into the bite force and dynamics of young children, says that the findings show a real need to introduce a bite-testing standard for toys.   He says that age labels on toys are not sufficient to prevent accidents. 

He explains: "Evidence shows that parents are not reading the warning labels.  Or if they do, then sometimes they think that the age labels on toys relate to a child's developmental capability rather than the fact that the toy may pose a potential risk from having small parts.  In addition there is currently no standard that would safeguard children when biting and/or chewing toys or play products and breaking off pieces which may then be swallowed or inhaled".

"The research was based the number of cases of young children admitted to hospital emergency departments after swallowing or inhaling small parts from objects and toys.   There is a real need to develop robust bite testing standards for children's toys but until now we didn't have the research on which to base them."

Dr Mountain, Senior Child Health Lecturer and Deputy Head of the university's School of Healthcare, collaborated with colleagues at the Leeds Dental Institute to design a novel user-friendly instrument to accurately test the bite force of more than 206 children aged three to five.  This age group includes some of those most likely to mouth bite and chew foreign objects.

Their research showed that the force of a child's bite is affected by poor dental health, their weight and even their ethnicity.  

Dr Mountain has now received funding from the Yorkshire Enterprise Fellowship to develop a commercial version of the user friendly instrument to measure children's bite forces.  The instrument will hopefully prove extremely useful for dentists and other clinicians working and researching with children in fields such as oral health, orthodontics and maxiofacial work. 

For more information on Dr Mountain's bite force measurement instrument go to http://www.yef.org.uk/show.php?cat=20204&article_id=623

For further information and interviews contact:
Carol Arthur, Northern Lights PR on 01423 562 400 or
Simon Jenkins, University of Leeds Press Office, 0113 3434031 or 07791 333229.

Notes to editors

• Reports from around the world confirm that toys and other children's products sometimes amount to between 50 - 75% of deaths in the very young child age group due to choking on non-food items ( MMWR, 2002; Reilly et al 1995; National Center for Health Statistics, 1995; Mu et al, 1991; Ryan et al, 1990; Baker and Fisher, 1980).
• Government statistics show that in the UK there were 45 deaths in the 0-14 age group in 2005 due to 'accidental threats to breathing', with 3 of those deaths being specifically related to inhalation and/or ingestion of non food items causing obstruction of the respiratory tract (Office for National Statistics, 2007, table 2, page 20).
• According to research by Metra Martech on behalf of the DTI toys or toy parts are responsible for 6% of choking cases of children under four each year (DTI, 1999). 
• The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise showed the University of Leeds to be the UK's eighth biggest research powerhouse. The University is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University's vision is to secure a place among the world's top 50 by 2015. www.leeds.ac.uk
• With more than 6,000 students, 1,500 staff and annual research income topping £35m, the Faculty of Medicine and Health at Leeds is bigger than many entire universities. Leeds has one of the largest medical and bioscience research bases in the UK, and is an acknowledged world leader in cancer, cardiovascular, psychiatric, genetic and musculo-skeletal research. Treatments developed in Leeds are transforming the lives of people around the world living with conditions such as HIV, TB, diabetes and malaria.