Lead in Toys Pose Health Risk to Children

 Posted on January 11, 2013 in Personal Injury

If you have a child of your own that you bought toys for this holiday season, or a young relative or friend, you most likely paid keen attention to the age recommendation, carefully picking a toy that wouldn't present a choking hazard for small children, or have sharp edges or broken pieces and any of the other dangers we want to ensure the toys are children play with don't have. But most people don't realize that there is another dangerous risk to children in their toys – the chemical makeup of the toy. In 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) records show that 157 types of toys were recalled, 99 types of which were related to lead toxicity. That represents about 6 million children's toys pulled off store shelves for lead paint or lead components. In 2008, the CPSC enacted federal regulations which said that every children's toy in the United States must be tested by an independent body, there were still 45 types recalled between 2008 and 2011 for toxicity issues, lead being high on the list. Fox News interviewed Dr. Stephanie Goodson, a pediatrician and clinical instructor at the University of Michigan, about the dangers of lead exposure to children. "We see a child who has elevated blood [lead] levels, particularly in the synthesis of hemoglobin," Goodson said, referring to a substance in blood cells that carries oxygen. "The lead blocks its ability to synthesize this protein, because it binds onto the enzyme, so therefore children become quite anemic from lead toxicity." Dr. Goodson also explained that children react more negatively than adults to lead exposure. Lead damages the developing brain and can continually affect behavior and cognitive ability even into adulthood. If your child has been injured by a defective toy, contact an experienced Illinois personal injury attorney to find out what action you may be able to take to hold the manufacturer liable for any pain and loss your child suffered.