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Recall: Get the Facts on Lead Paint, Toys and Kids |
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Thursday, 16 August 2007 |
 Dr. Ernest Levister, Jr.
Dear G.R. In a world
filled with so many risks, it's difficult to know what is worth worrying about.
Yet every parent should be concerned about the health risks surrounding kids' toys - particularly those imported from
China.
Mattel recalled 9 million Chinese-made toys this week,
including Polly Pocket play sets and Batman action figures, because of dangers
to children from lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed.
It is the second recall involving lead paint for Mattel in
two weeks. Earlier this month, consumers were warned about 1.5 million
Chinese-made Fisher Price toys that contain unsafe levels of lead-based paint.
Lead is a heavy metal that is common in our environment.
Lead was banned from most paint in the 1970s. Soil in many urban cities, older
housing structures and items in the home like antique toys, cribs or furniture
have lead in them.
When lead is ingested, the body will naturally absorb it
through the bloodstream.
The problem with children is it tends to be deposited into
the brain and the nerves. The brain of a child develops rapidly, as a result
the effects are magnified. It can cause
cognitive and developmental abnormalities - certain types of learning disabilities,
attention deficit disorder. Lead poisoning is commonly seen in kids raised in
poor urban neighborhoods where homes still contain lead-based paint on walls
and siding.
While it is not possible to eliminate all lead exposure,
parents should take precautions to protect kids. Simply having a recalled toy
in the home does not pose an emergency medical risk to the child, even if the
child was to have ingested one small paint chip.
But it is vitally important that all lead exposures are
removed from any child's world as soon as possible.
If your child has a history of developmental problems, and
has been chewing on or playing with a lead-tainted toy, he or she should be
seen by a physician to determine if
blood lead testing is warranted.
You can find more information on recent toy recalls and
product safety online at Consumer Product Safety Commission:
http//www.cpsc.gov/ or call Mattel toll-free (888) 597-6597.
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