String of toy recalls worries parents

Coping with recalls

It’s getting harder for parents to feel confident about the safety of toys. Here are some suggestions that may help:

¢ Check all recall reports and information resources from the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov; the recall hotline is (800) 638-2772.

¢ Don’t rely on home-use kits that test for the presence of lead in items, including toys. The CPSC says the kits produce false positives and false negatives.

¢ Mattel says product numbers for recalled toys should be on the toys themselves. Those numbers can be matched to recalled items at www.service.mattel.com. Click on the “Recall Information” links under the search field for “Where To Buy.”

San Jose, Calif. ? With a string of recent recalls now numbering nearly 3.5 million lead-tainted toys worldwide, many parents are wondering anew about the health risks of lead and what to do if their children have been exposed. There are no known poisonings from the toys.

Health experts have long known that exposure to lead, a once-common ingredient in paint, gasoline and other consumer products, can cause health problems, including kidney, muscle and nerve damage, learning disabilities, mental retardation and behavior problems. Children under three years old, whose brains and nervous systems are rapidly developing, are particularly vulnerable to lead’s harmful effects. Lead can be absorbed into the body by breathing in lead dust or chewing, eating or touching lead-tainted products.

Moderate use of a recalled toy might not be a problem, but parents should consult with a pediatrician if their child has had prolonged exposure or chewed on such a toy, said Charis Subil, a public health nurse who coordinates Santa Clara County’s childhood lead poisoning prevention program.

“It is a concern,” Subil said, adding that she admired the toy companies for their voluntary recalls.

Symptoms of lead poisoning can include pallor, constipation, abdominal pain, learning problems, sluggishness, weight loss, vomiting or irritability, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Parents who suspect their children have been exposed to lead, through toys or other avenues, should consult their doctors, who may recommend a blood test.

No level of lead is deemed safe for children, but blood levels of 10 micrograms per deciliter or higher are cause for concern.

In some cases, simply removing lead from the environment is enough, but in some cases doctors will treat exposed children or adults by injecting medicine intravenously. The medicine binds to lead in the blood and causes it to be excreted through urine.

Parents should check Mattel’s Web site at www.service.mattel.com for more information and remove any recalled toys.

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/Features/ChildhoodLead.