Less than 20 percent of parents in cities are aware of the potential hazards of children’s clothing, according to a survey by China’s top quality watchdog.

The survey, released by the department for law enforcement and supervision of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on Friday, shows while 98 percent of parents focus on the quality of clothing, only 10 to 18 percent have even a basic knowledge of safety.

Meanwhile, 4 percent of parents surveyed said their children were injured as a result of clothing.

The survey, conducted by the Defective Product Administrative Center of AQSIQ in April, polled 4,551 parents of children aged between 3-12 in five major cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an and Zhengzhou.

“Although the quality of children’s clothes has improved in general in recent years, problems regarding safety still exist and pose potential hazards to the health of children,” Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of AQSIQ’s department for law enforcement and supervision, said.

According to Liu Fengrong, a senior engineer at the National Garments Quality Inspection and Supervision Center, problems include excessive levels of formaldehyde, hydrogen and dye.

“Our inspection shows children’s clothes sold at shopping malls normally meet standards, but those sold at small stores vary in quality,” she said.