When you see children’s toys, the small plastic horses, the puzzles and the trains, you may not think of anything harmful besides choking hazards. Unfortunately, lead poisoning is a risky hazard that even with the restrictions of lead use in the U.S. can still make its way onto the toys of children throughout the U.S.
The U.S. has banned the use of lead in children’s toys due to the severe damage it can cause to their developing brains, especially at a young age! The reason for the possibility of lead in toys is that many of the products on our shelves have been shipped over from other countries, such as China, who are missing restrictions for toys that have lead paint or lead used in plastic.
If the toy is from China, there are do-it-yourself lead testing kits for testing the toy. But in a worst-case scenario, if you think your child has been exposed, you can get them a blood lead test. Exposure may not be noticeable at first though, because lead poisoning is not a sudden attack, such as a cold, but a prolonged build up in the blood.
Keep this in mind when you go out to buy a toy or item for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew, etc. With Christmas right around the corner, producers are going to rush their products onto the shelves to take advantage of the Christmas rush. Hopefully, in the future the U.S. can check these more thoroughly to make sure no items containing lead make their way onto the supermarket shelves, but you can prevent any harm before it happens.
Not only can lead paint be used for toys, but even our houses! Lead can also be possibly found in food from our own soil! If you are worried about your home and the possible inclusion of lead in the paint, contact us to come inspect the home and even your child’s toy!