TORONTO - Health Canada is warning parents, grandparents and people who look after small children to get rid of a popular old type of toy that is no longer considered safe.
The department says Fisher-Price Little People figurines made before 1991 are a choking risk for small children and should be discarded in a way that ensures they aren't re-used or resold.
In fact, the department says it decided to issue the warning after the recent choking death of an unidentified 10-month-old Canadian child.
Health Canada says at the request of the family it won't reveal any information about the incident.
Fisher-Price changed the design of the popular toys in 1991 after learning of seven deaths and one serious injury involving the toys. All the cases happened in the United States, among children under age three.
The newer style figures are taller and chunkier, with a bigger base. Where the discontinued toys were about two centimetres in diameter, the newer ones are approximately three centimetres across.
Health Canada says the recent death brought to light the fact that the discontinued Little People toys are still in use in some households, and may be being resold on the Internet or through second-hand shops.
