Trouble in Toyland report: Here’s a look at what to avoid this holiday season

TAMPA, Fla. - Children across the country are making their holiday wish lists, but health experts warn that some of these toys may have hidden risks and consumers should be especially weary of products sold online. 

State Representative Kathy Castor is going to meet with pediatricians at Tampa General Hospital on Monday morning to go over new toy warnings. 

Every year there is an annual report put out called the Trouble in Toyland report, and it goes over the most-watched items that have been known to cause issues. 

State Representative Kathy Castor warned about third-party online vendors selling unregulated toys. 

"The Consumer Product Safety Commission has waved red flags on this. Be careful as you shop on Amazon because they have a new initiative to ship toys directly from China to your house," Castor said. 

This year, the report warns against toys that have been recalled or present a choking hazard. Some of the items are not sold in stores. They are sold in other places, such as online and at local swap meets.

Smart toys and devices with cameras and microphones top the list. 

Representative Castor also touched on the dangers of some electronic toys. 

"When we're talking about online, so many of the news toys are connected to the internet, or they are gathering information on your child," Castor said. "They have cameras; they might track where your children go."

Castor explained the importance of checking the privacy settings on those toys. 

"Congress has not updated children's online privacy protections. We need to do that," Castor said. "Our bipartisan bills are being held up by the leadership up in the house. That needs to change here at year-end."

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Other hazards include water beads, which are sometimes labeled as sensory toys. More than 6,000 children have already been hospitalized due to water beads. 

Popular name-brand toys such as Fischer Price character toys have been recalled because they can pose a choking hazard. 

Sometimes, it's hard to decipher which toys bought online were inspected for things like lead paint and small parts. 

TGH Pediatric Emergency Medicine Dr. Jasmine Patterson said, "Despite regulations, toys with small parts are still sold. Whether that be because they're not properly labeled or they're counterfeit."

The report warns against any device with a button battery, especially if it is for young children. 

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One of the big warnings this year is to be sure you are buying from a reputable seller. Officials say if you are buying from online sites, you may be purchasing a counterfeit toy that doesn’t meet safety standards.

In the meantime, business analyst Parag Amin suggests shying away from unknown online sellers altogether. 

"You know that these stores, particularly these large brick-and-mortar stores, have some kind of QC system, meaning quality control system in place to help ensure that they're not facing potential lawsuits for the products they're selling," Amin said.

When you purchase any toy, Amin suggests checking its labels. 

"For example, there is ASTM F963, which is a standard for U.S. toys and safety. There's a mark for CE, which is for the E.U., which means it was manufactured under certain quality controls," Amin said.

Click here for more information on toy safety issues and recalls. 

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