Cuddle with confidence: asthma-friendly toys debut

Dayton, N.J.— Children who suffer from asthma and allergies can now fill their toy boxes with plush without worry.

Kids Preferred is marketing asthma-friendly certified toys, which do not contain any fabric or filling known to aggravate the disorder.

"Normally, kids and people with asthma and allergies have no plush toys because they tend to collect dust mites," said Laura Perks, sales and marketing director for plush manufacturer Kids Preferred.

She explained that plush toys tend to smell like their young owners and get dirty.

"But typically, moms don't really wash plush toys," Perks said. "If you do, they fall apart."

But the new asthma-friendly toys are made without nooks and crannies where dust mites migrate.

"This is really ground-breaking," said Perks, adding that the toys go through 20 weeks of lab tests to check for dyes and toxins that can trigger allergies.

Dr. John O'Mahoney, who partnered with peer Dr. John McKeon, founded Allergy Standards Limited in 2000. While ASL has worked on allergen-free bedding, it wasn't until the last couple of years that they set their sights on toys.

O'Mahoney said dust mites thrive in carpets, mattresses and pillows — many of the same places children tend to put down their plush toys. Then when the children go to sleep at night, clutching their favorite stuffed animal, they can't stop wheezing because of the allergens that trigger an asthma attack.

"Physicians go to extremes and tell parents to remove all plush toys, or to put them through rigorous cleaning," O'Mahoney said. "But patients were coming back after going into retail stores and not finding appropriate toys."

Besides, most plush toys on the market are not of a high enough quality to withstand the frequent washings required to remove allergens.

ASL finally came up with a certification process to test toys for allergens. First, they make sure the toy itself doesn't contain any chemicals or dyes known to initiate an asthma attack. Then, they figure out what will keep the toy at a low allergen level.

"Just putting a plush toy on a bed, the allergen level can rise to a dangerous level," O'Mahoney said.

The scientific labs are set to optimal conditions for dust mites to grow, so researchers can see the rate of infestation and decide how often the toy should be washed — anywhere from every 4 to 8 weeks.

"We freeze and wash them up to 25 times, and then they must still comply with national safety standards," said O'Mahoney. The toys are also put through tests of tension, torque and seam strength.

The testing is so rigorous that Kids Preferred has had to delay the debut of the plush toys for several weeks to finish putting them through the ropes.

However, special shipments of the toys were sent to Rightstar and Sears Canada. "For the most part, they're not fully fledged in the marketplace," Perks said.

By the time the asthma toys make it to North American store shelves, they will be accompanied by customized care instructions. Parents are told how often to place the toy into the freezer for 24 hours, then wash and dry it to keep it in a low allergen state.

"It's (an allergen) trigger reduction," O'Mahoney said. "It's a method of treatment... that allows consumers to be proactive, not just take medicine."

And Perks agreed.

"For the consumer, it's a great thing," she said, adding that the asthma-friendly toys should arrive in local stores this month.

The 9-inch Activity Caterpillar is perfect for the cribs of infants with asthma and allergies. It features an attachable clip, a rattle sound, spring action, and a lot of textures and visually stimulating fabrics.

This Pastel Colorblock Bear, made especially for children who suffer from asthma and allergies, will hit stores in North America this month.