PHOENIX -- A tube from an empty roll of toilet paper could be your best shopping tool if you're looking for toys for tykes.

Alex Nelson of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group said Tuesday that just because a toy is offered for sale does not make it safe. Nor does it mean it has been tested by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

That, he said, means parents and friends looking for gifts have to be particularly vigilant.

The simple problem comes down to the fact that infants and toddlers tend to put things in their mouths and chew on just about anything in their grasp. And Nelson said if the item can fit into an empty toilet paper tube, it can fit into a child's mouth.

More to the point, they can swallow it and choke.

Nelson, at a press conference at Phoenix Children's Hospital, said not all choking hazards are obvious.

For example, he had a "My Pretty Pony'' doll. That, by itself, is a safe size.

What is not, Nelson said, is the tiny shovel that came with it.

Similarly, he said that those buying items for small children should tug on parts to see whether they come loose. To make his point, Nelson pulled one of the wheels off a toy tractor, a toy he said might otherwise be given to a child younger than 3.

Nelson praised Congress for approving the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act earlier this year. Aside from expanding the budget of the CPSC, he said it moves toward banning various types of phthalates in toys. That is a chemical used to keep plastics soft and pliable.

Nelson said it also has been linked to developmental disabilities and deformities. Its use has already been banned in Europe.

But he pointed out that the U.S. ban does not become effective until this coming February. That is why products like the "Baby Einstein'' plastic book remain available for sale.

"This holiday season buyers still need to beware,'' he said.

"Unfortunately, there's no warning label for any product with phthalates in them,'' Nelson said. "Parents just need to be conscious that these would be on the shelves.''

In fact, he said, the toys could remain for sale for awhile. He said the law is being interpreted that manufacturers can continue to sell toys they already have beyond that February cutoff.

The other less-than-obvious hazard is noise. Angelique Ferayorni, who works in the pediatric emergency room at the hospital, said many battery operated toys are designed to emit loud sounds.

She said these are not dangerous in limited use. But Ferayorni said it can cause long-term hearing loss if the toy is used near a child's ear for any extended period of time.