![]() "It's horrible and it shouldn't happen."Īlthough most lead poisoning has no obvious, immediate symptoms, it can affect a child's brain, nervous system, heart, and red blood cells. Rosen has treated more than 30,000 childhood victims of lead poisoning. "I've seen the devastating effects of lead and it's horrible," says Rosen, professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Rosen, a nationally recognized lead poisoning specialist, is angered that hazardous toys and jewelry continue to be sold to children. Hope is on the way in 2008." Lead in Toys: Effects of Lead Poisoning "We have billions of toys being brought into the marketplace each year," he says, "and we are going to capture all the toys that need to be recalled. Wolfson says that while the recalls are far from over, parents need not panic because the majority of toys in the U.S. "That's where the breakdown has happened." The Ecology Center has compiled a database of more than 1,200 toys it tested for lead and other dangerous chemicals at "What we're seeing are far too many companies who have let down the bar or who fail to do quality assurance through their contractors and subcontractors," says Wolfson. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), Consumer Reports, and the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., all recently found that dangerous products for children are still widely available. Even non-recalled jewelry, however - including some labeled "lead-free" - has proven to be dangerous. Since 2004, manufacturers have recalled more than 45 jewelry products involving 170 million units due to excessive lead. Jewelry, also frequently made in China, has been the target of even more recalls. The overwhelming majority of those toys were made in China, which manufactures 80% of the toys sold in this country. The death also paved the way for the growing list of recalls which continues to plague parents today.ĭuring the past 14 months, the CPSC has overseen 31.7 million voluntary recalls, of which nearly 4 million were due to excessive lead in toys. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The incident brought to light the fact that many American toy companies have been violating federal safety standards for almost 30 years, according to Scott Wolfson of the U.S. In 2006, a 4-year-old Minneapolis boy died after swallowing a trinket made by Reebok, which contained more than 90% lead. Many experts believe that the culprit is lead in toys and jewelry. ![]() ![]() However, about 30% of the childhood lead poison cases followed by the CDC are not caused by paint. Although banned in 1978, it continues to be a hazard in 25% of U.S. Most lead poisoning in this country is caused by lead-based paint. A second test, performed two weeks later at Preston's insistence, showed a blood lead level of 32 mcg/dL.Īccording to Preston, health officials determined that the source of Megan's poisoning was crayons she had been eating. Megan's level came back at 26 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) - a number that doctors consider extremely dangerous for young children. I was frantic."įortunately, the Prestons had moved to New York, a state that requires mandatory blood lead testing of children at both 12 and 24 months of age. ![]() "Her speech kept getting worse and worse. "She would follow orders but wouldn't speak," Preston says. But then, over a period of just a few weeks, Megan suddenly stopped talking. That's why Preston, 29, was so shocked when doctors diagnosed the toddler with lead poisoning.Īt 21 months, Megan far exceeded every developmental milestone for her age group. She documented each bite her daughter ate and washed all her toys, several times a week. The stay-at-home mom, who describes herself as "over-the-edge careful," made sure that little Megan was always within eyesight. When Eleilia Preston gave birth to her first child, the last thing she worried about was lead in toys.
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