Toxic Toys: Lead Poisoning Prevention Tips

You can't turn around without staring at another headline about a toy that may have exposed your child to lead. You've heard statements about the health risks to developing children from lead, like this one, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

"Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death."

So what do you do now?

First, start by visiting this Mattel Website, which lists the toys that have been recalled.

Second, remove the source of lead. Any toy that has lead paint should be taken away from the child. The good news is that lead paint typically doesn't become a hazard until it deteriorates, flakes off and can be easily ingested — and experts caution that the risk from Mattel's toys being recalled is low. However, because children often put toys in their mouths, the risk of exposure is still real, even with newer toys.

The third thing parents should do is consider other sources of lead around the house, and take steps to prevent their children from being exposed to those sources. In homes built before 1978, chances are some paint in the house is lead, and the government estimates that 24 million homes around the United States still have lead paint. The three leading causes of childhood exposure to lead are deteriorating lead-based paint in buildings, lead-contaminated dust in older buildings and lead-contaminated soil outside the home. Local health departments often have resources to aid homeowners who want to test their homes for lead and reduce the chance that children will be exposed to old lead paint or other sources of lead.

Fourth, frequently use a damp mop to remove dust and keep older paint from peeling and cracking. And wash children's hands frequently.

Fifth, have your child's blood tested for lead. Any pediatrician can do this. The risk of damage from exposure to lead is greatest when children are age 6 and under. The damage to the brain can be irreversible, so early diagnosis of elevated blood level is critical so parents can take steps to reduce or eliminate the exposure.

Approximately 310,000 U.S. children between the ages of one and five have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. At that level, the CDC recommends parents take action to identify and reduce exposure.

Sixth, ensure your child is eating a healthy diet, and particularly that he or she is eating the recommended amounts of calcium and iron.

A child with an iron deficiency can absorb up to 50% more lead than one with adequate iron in the diet. Good sources of iron include fortified cereals, meat, legumes, prunes, raisins and green leafy vegetables, and iron is best absorbed by the body if consumed with foods high in vitamin C.

Similarly, as calcium intake increases, the body absorbs less lead, so diets high in calcium are important for children exposed to lead.

COMMENTS ()