The presents are wrapped and under the tree – well except those that will be delivered from Santa on Christmas Eve.
The anticipation of that new toy is building for your child or children and rightfully so. After the excitement and squeals of delight have faded, you might want to double-check your toys to ensure your child’s safety.
There can and should be concerns with lead in some toys and jewelry and a few of the following tips might be helpful when assessing those items in your home.
- Lead can’t be detected by the human eye or for that matter your nose!
- Exposure happens through normal handling of the object – placing the object in their mouth or putting their hands in their mouth after holding the object.
- Toys made in other countries or older toys handed down from generation to generation are often the culprits. Those items may contain lead, which then puts children at risk.
- The paint on toys can also contain lead. While banned in the United States from house paint, most items marketed to children, dishes and cookware since 1978, it is still extensively used in other countries.
- While the use of lead in paint has been banned – the same does not hold true for plastics. Lead softens and stabilizes plastic, but once the plastic is exposed to the sun, air or even detergents the plastic can develop a lead dust.
Testing
A product can be tested for lead – but this service is only available at a certified lab. While there are some home testing kits available they are not able to determine how much lead is present.
Exposure
If you think a toy may contain lead the best plan of action is to remove it from the play or storage area. If you are concerned then I recommend talking with your child’s health care provider. They can then advise if a blood test might be needed and your treatment options.
A great resource for parents is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. They issue recalls of toys on a regular basis – including toys that may expose children to lead.
To reduce these risks, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead. Photos and descriptions of recalled toys and toy jewelry are available. CPSC can be contacted also by telephone at 1-800-638-2772.
