Don't Chew On That

Ever since the lead warnings have been coming out about toys, I've been thankful that my children are past the age of chewing on toys. I can't for the life of me understand why we make products for kids with harmful chemicals - oh wait, that's right, it's all about money. Cheap, appealing toys = fat profits.

If your kids are at the baby/toddler stage, it is a real concern since ingesting the lead is where the real danger lies. It isn't just swallowing small pieces - sucking or chewing on it repeatedly can lead to lead poisoning. In addition to educating yourself on the issue, I would consider buying a lead testing kit (available at most hardware stores now). I did this when I was concerned with my son's lunchbox and it did test positive for lead. I just learned that baby bibs are also on the frequent offender list. Cotton bibs may not be as convenient, but may warrant another look.

What surprised me in the news today was an article about kid's jewelry and how the lead has been replaced by another dangerous metal called cadmium. This carcinogen was found at high levels in 12% of the jewelry purchased recently for testing. These are the charm bracelets and pendants that little kids love - and love to suck on. I know I have seen my own children with pendants from their necklaces in their mouths. The one that I keep thinking of is the little paint-scratched ghost my son used to wear. It's gone now, but I'm guessing it would test positive for something bad. While cadmium is currently legal, the Consumer Product Safety Commission just announced an investigation today that could change that in the near future.

An article called Keeping Your Kids Safe from Lead in Kid's Products on the Sierra Club website had some interesting tips including avoiding vending machine toys and fake glossy pearl necklaces, and being aware of the issues of lead in toy jewelry.

I know it is one more thing to worry about, but I see this as a 3-step process. At a minimum we should be keeping the toys, necklaces, etc. out of their mouths. The next step is educating ourselves enough to keep the dangerous products out of our homes. I just added the CPSC alerts to my Google Reader account so I'll get notified of child product recalls. And, finally, the most important step is to get the companies to stop making this stuff in the first place!

Getting the Lead Out

Image via Wikipedia

Lead poisoning wasn't something I worried much about until a few years ago when the news came out that many vinyl lunchboxes contained lead. I was concerned so I ordered the kit, tested the lunchbox and learned that it was in fact leaching lead onto my son's food. As if we don't have enough things to worry about! The lunchbox went in the garbage and we moved to the old-fashioned metal kind.

This year we're back to a vinyl lunchbox now that manufacturers seem to have gotten their act together. A recent discussion with my family and a new state program made me realize though that there are still reasons to be concerned about lead.

Cover via Amazon

The discussion came up while reading Little House in the Big Woods to my two boys. The chapter was about Pa making bullets out of lead every night by the fire. (By the way, in case your boys think Little House books are for girls, they might want to think again - the hunting and animal stories are keeping my boys entertained!) My youngest son didn't know what lead was, so my husband gave him a reference he could understand. "Do you know those fishing weights that I bite when I'm putting them on your line?" That clued him in, but left me with questions. Um, really, we bite the lead weights? I guess this pinches them together to get them to stay on, but I have never noticed the biting part. My husband assures me the children don't do this. Now, I just have to work on him...

Lead isn't found in pencils (actually, they have always been falsely labeled "lead pencils" despite the fact the center is graphite), but where is lead found? The biggest concern is in the paint found in older homes. Before the 1950s, paint contained up to 50% lead. That was eventually cut to 1%, and then in 1978 it was cut to just a trace amount. While remodeling may be the way to get the lead out, it can also lead to significant lead exposure so check with your local government program for tips before you proceed.

Other ways that kids may be exposed, include:
* Candies purchased in or imported from Mexico
* Toys - Check the latest lead recall list to find out more.
* Cookware that isn't specifically labeled lead-free and safe for cooking. Specifically, look out for ceramic pieces that are designed more as artwork rather than cookware.
* Electronics - As long as the electronics are intact, you should be fine, but the concern comes when the break. Just something to think about before you let them dismantle that broken computer or television...
* Hot tap water - This one surprised me, but the CDC recommends only drinking cold water from the tap. If you want it hot, you should heat it. Most lead from drinking water comes from the household pipes, not the source.

According to the CDC, lead poisoning is particularly damaging to children. There is no level of lead exposure that is considered safe. At least we don't have to worry about them chewing on their pencils - graphite is non-toxic!