With the holiday toy shopping season here in full swing you may want to think twice about a couple of the items that may be on your child 's list . That 's because toy-related injuries are on the rise according to a new report . A study published in the latest edition of Clinical Pediatrics shows the injury rate has increased almost 40 % in the United States . That 's looking at statistics from emergency departments collected between 1990 to 2011 . Over 3 million children were treated in emergency departments for a toy-related injury . In 2011 alone , that translates to a child getting hurt every 3 minutes . A little over half of the injured is a young child under the age of six . Researchers found the number one toy causing the problems for kids are ride-on toys like foot-powered scooters . `` We know that 's an underestimate , '' said Dr. Gary Smith . He 's the lead researcher on the study and the Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children 's Hospital . `` We know that those numbers are increasing . So it 's a call to action . We really do have a lot more work to do to provide safe toys for children '' When asked about the study 's limitations , Smith says it `` only look ( s ) at children treated at American hospital emergency departments . '' Missing are the numbers from urgent care centers and doctors offices , or those that do n't seek any medical care at all . Toy-related deaths were also left out of the study database . Most injuries are not that severe according to the latest numbers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission . Smith emphasizes that depending of the age of the child , there are different types of injuries for different . `` For younger children , kids under 5 , they spend most of their time in the home , and so it 's toys found indoors , in the home , that are the major source of injury . '' For children under 3 , it 's choking hazards . Toys with small parts are always a causes for concern for the little ones . And recalled toys can be a problem . Smith suggests you check Recalls.gov to make sure the toy you are picking out is not defective . As for older adolescents , foot-powered scooters or `` kick '' scooters are a major source of injury . With the introduction of the Razor scooter in 1999 , these light-weight , foldable two-or-three-wheeled toys quickly became popular and they also quickly became a bulk of the increase in toy-related injuries according to researchers . If you do chose to buy your child a scooter this holiday season , Smith suggests parents buy a helmet as well . He also tells parents to talk to the child about playing in an area that is far away from car traffic . And if the child is under 8 , make sure there 's an adult to watch over them when they play . These are the same guidelines the Razor scooter company suggests on its own website . The company also suggests riders use elbow and kneepads .
Study : Toy-related injury is rising in American children treated at U.S. emergency departments . Foot-powered scooters account for most of the increase in the injury rates from 1990 to 2011 . At Recalls.gov , adults can check whether a toy is recalled or defective .