Shiny objects pose infant danger

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 2004

Babies and toddlers are particularly attracted to glossy, reflective surfaces, according to a study conducted in the University of California-Davis psychology department. The researchers studied youngsters ages six to 17 months at day-care centers, observing how they played with a polished stainless steel plate, a glossy white plastic plate, and teal-colored plastic plates with glossy and dull surfaces.

In the experiments, youngsters preferred to mouth shinier objects, offering implications for the design and manufacturing of toys, eating and drinking utensils, plastic bags, and household products and appliances.

The researchers suggest that fewer incidents of poisoning and suffocation might occur if containers of medicines and cleaning solutions were given dull surface finishes and plastic bags manufactured with dull plastic.

Finally, they suggest repositioning mirrors in complex, interactive toys could reduce mouthing by eliminating the water-like reflections from overhead room lighting. Such redesigns also could decrease the amount of germs being transmitted from child to child through saliva.