The world’s largest toy company has recalled almost 1 million toys because their manufacturer in China used lead-containing paint to color the loveable characters of Elmo, Big Bird, Dora the Explorer, Diego, and others. Lead is a cheap way to make bright colors last; it is also toxic to children’s growing brains if it gets in their mouths. Lead is a vivid example of how some industrial chemicals can impact health. At blood levels less than 10 millionths of a gram (per dL) it can decrease intelligence. At levels as low as 2 millionths of a gram, it can quadruple the odds of developing ADHD. In fact, environmental lead getting into kids’ bodies is the single largest known cause of ADHD in the US, calculated to account for about 290,000 cases in this country alone, or about 16 percent of all ADHD. The younger the child, the bigger the impact – with unborn babies at the highest risk. But what about the other environmental causes of this and other common childhood conditions? The Mattel/Fisher-Price toy recall underlines the importance of Raising Baby Green – learning important ways the environment can support or hinder your child’s development. Thankfully, small positive actions can tilt the odds in your child’s favor.
If you wonder whether your child has been exposed to one of the 83 types of recalled toys, on store shelves in the US from April 2007 to August 2007, see the Consumer Product Safety Commission's warning for the complete list. You can contact the manufacturer’s hotline at (800) 916-4498 for more information. And talk with your pediatrician about whether a blood lead test would be wise for your child. If you know anyone with young children, please be sure they have heard about this recall.
