Playing with danger: From toys to paint

As millions of playthings are recalled, physicians are reminded that the risks of lead exposure continue for young patients.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Nov. 5, 2007.

Lead is such a well-known health hazard -- perhaps even contributing to the fall of the Roman Empire -- that it came as a shock to discover that toys handled by children could contain this toxin. Physicians are now dealing with the aftershocks.

Just how dangerous is this exposure? That's the question physicians are being asked by parents who find a lead-tainted Elmo, Dora or other toy among their child's possessions. Millions of toys, lunch boxes and pieces of jewelry manufactured in China have been recalled because they contain lead either in the paint that coats them or as a component of the plastic used to make the item more flexible. The lead content in some of the toys recalled this summer was 180 times the amount allowed by law. Some pieces of jewelry were almost 100% lead.

Experts advise that the items do pose a risk and that physicians should urge parents to check the comprehensive lists of recalled products on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site and return any appearing on those lists to the manufacturers.

If exposure is suspected, a blood test is in order. "Err on the side of caution" is the mantra.

Since there is no safe level of this ubiquitous element, the risk faced by children for lead poisoning and its accompanying threat of learning disabilities and behavior problems is substantial.

Physicians who have toys in their waiting rooms also are advised to see if any of them have been recalled and to check for chipped, flaking paint -- even on those that haven't yet been recalled -- since new announcements of toy risks continue.