Five things parents can do to avoid lead poisoning

Mattel's two recent recalls of toys containing lead have alarmed and concerned parents. If the world's largest toymaker cannot stop lead-painted toys from entering the marketplace, parents reason, then how safe are toys from other manufacturers? And for that matter, how safe are the toys already in our homes?

While it is disturbing to learn that tainted toys are being sold by retailers large and small, the Environmental Protection Agency notes that the primary sources of lead exposure for children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead contaminated dust, and lead contaminated residential soil. Lead poisoning has been linked to developmental and learning disorders. More than 300,000 children in the U.S. have lead levels high enough to cause irreversible damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Children six and under are most affected. Because lead accumulates in the body, the only way to reduce the risk is to minimize exposure. 

In addition to toys, lead has recently been found in other products for children including jewelry, baby bibs, vinyl lunch boxes and clothing. At Consumers Union, we advocate zero tolerance for lead paint on toys. Until that happens, here are five things parents can do on the home front to keep their children safe.

1) TAKE INVENTORY

• To get started, check www.recalls.gov to see if things you own or any hand-me-down items have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 
• Conduct frequent sort and toss sessions and discard toys with chipped paint, deteriorated plastic or other broken or damaged parts. When in doubt, throw the toy away. 
• Avoid vintage toys and antique furniture that may have been painted with older lead-based paint. If the item is a keepsake or collectible, put it away until your child is older.

2) CLEAN UP

• To avoid lead exposure from sources in the home, keep floors and other play areas clean and free of dust and debris. Wash your children's hands and playthings often. 
• Store toys off the floor in a clean place. Wash items that fall on the floor. 
• Feed your child a healthy diet rich in iron and calcium. Children with good diets absorb less lead. 
• Avoid treating your child with folk remedies, many of which contain lead. 
• Serve and store food in lead-free containers such as glass, stainless steel or plastic. 
• Wrap food that goes in your child's lunch box. Some children's vinyl lunch boxes have been found to contain lead. 
• If you live in a house with lead pipes, running cold water in the faucet for a few minutes and using a water filter can reduce lead levels. 

3) BUY SMART

• Avoid no-name products and be careful when you buy items at dollar stores, street fairs, vending machines, thrift stores or yard sales.
• Buy age-appropriate toys. For example, children age 2 are most at risk for putting things in their mouths. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of age-appropriate toys on its web site.
• Do not buy jewelry – especially cheap jewelry – for young children. Even if the item does not contain lead – and many pieces of metal jewelry have been recalled for that reason – it can still be a choking hazard. 
• Make sure arts and crafts items you buy for your children are non-toxic. Lead has been banned from children's paints but adult artist's paints and ceramic glazes can contain lead and other toxic heavy metals. Look for water-based paints and glues. 

4) FIND SUBSTITUTES

• Try to avoid bringing playthings with troubled track records into your home by finding safe alternatives for your child. Board and picture books, unpainted wooden toys, balls, non-toxic paints and crayons and washable stuffed animals are good bets.
• Because all the recently recalled toys were made in China, some parents are seeking toys made in the U.S. or other countries. This can be a challenge as most toys – 80 percent – are made in China. It's also not a guarantee of safety; jewelry containing lead has come from other countries, including India, while children's furniture with lead paint has been imported from Mexico.

5) GET TESTED

• If you are concerned, get your child tested for lead -- especially if you live in a home with paint in poor condition that was built before 1978. Even children who appear healthy may have high levels of lead. A simple blood test can detect lead levels in children and some states require them. Children should have their blood checked at age one and again at two.
• A trained professional – find a list at the National Lead Information Center (800-424-LEAD) – can test for lead in your home using a variety of approved methods. These include visual inspections of paint conditions, lab tests of paint samples, surface dust tests and inspection with a portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine. 

A WORD ABOUT HOME LEAD TEST KITS
Hardware store lead test kits can be useful in detecting lead paint, but are not always reliable.  Parents who do decide to do their own home screening should validate test results for toys of most concern with a professional lab test.

See also: Previous lead-related entries