Lead Paint in Toys

Fisher-Price, one of the world’s largest toy manufacturers announced that almost a million toys worldwide contain excessive amounts of lead.

Lead poisoning affects hundreds of thousands of U.S. children, but most get it from paint chips and dust in deteriorating buildings, not recalled toys, U.S. health officials say.

No children have been reported harmed by the lead paint in the toys, which were sold at retail stores between May and August. But lead poisoning’s effects are cumulative so it’s important to remove tainted toys from children, Nancy A. Nord, acting Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman, said at a recent Washington news conference.

Often, lead poisoning occurs with no obvious symptoms and frequently goes unrecognized. But it can cause irreversible learning disabilities and behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death.

Federal guidelines define lead poisoning as occurring at a measurement of 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, however, these guidelines often vary from state to state, because some health officials define lead poisoning at even lower limits. But state and federal officials agree there are no safe levels of childhood exposure to lead.

About 310,000 U.S. children ages 1 to 5 have blood lead levels that require treatment or other measures, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lead-based paint was banned from use in housing in 1978, but young children are living in more than 4 million U.S. homes that have deteriorated leaded paint and elevated levels of lead-contaminated house dust, health officials estimate.

Tiny leaded dust particles get on children's hands and feet, and the kids ingest then by sucking on their fingers.

If parents are worried about lead in their homes or now, in their children’s toys, it is recommended to use professional testing services, contact a doctor and speak with an attorney to find out your rights and remedies.