More Recalled Toys... Ugh!

Three years after the big lead toy debacle, and there is still no way to know whether the toys you are buying for your child contain toxic chemicals. This is ridiculous! The toys should be tested before they are put on store shelves instead of after a child gets sick!

FROM ABC: There is another warning tonight about products that could be a danger to your children. Once again, they come from China, this time in the form of jewelry made with a toxic metal. The government is investigating-- while stores-- including Walmart-- stop selling the suspect items.

They may look pretty.. but test results.. show certain pieces of children's jewelry.. contain alarming levels of the heavy metal cadmium. Ashland University Chemistry Professor Jeff Weidenhamer said, "Cadmium compared to lead is more toxic. It's a known carcinogen. It is highly toxic to adults and to children. There's recent research indicating that it affects the brain learning disabilities and loss of I.Q."

Some of the jewelry.. all made in China.. proved to be 80 to 90 per cent cadmium.. including best friends bracelets from claire's boutiques.. rudolph reindeer charms sold at a dollar store. and flip flop bracelets from wal-mart. Both Walmart and Claire's have pulled those items from shelves.

Weidenhamer said, "So it's a really significant toxin. It bio-accumulates in the body and it's a really nasty metal to put in jewelry." Experts say prices for cadmium have dropped.. making it a cheaper option in manufacturing.. not to mention.. using the heavy metal in children's jewelry is not * specifically* prohibited. China's product safety agency vows to examine the investigation's findings.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission is launching an investigation.. of its own.. and circulating this warning to asian manufacturers.
Inez Tenebaum chairman, consumer product safety commission "I would highly encourage all of you to ensure that toy manufacturers and children's product manufacturers in your country are not substituting cadmium, antimony, barium in place of lead." What can parents do? Take all cheap costume jewelry *away* from their children.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Zhu Zhu Pet Controversy

FROM ABC: A popular stocking-stuffer is getting thumbs down from a consumer group today. It's just one of a highly-popular line of mechanical hamsters called Zhu- Zhu pets, but the makers insist none of their hamster toys pose any hazard to children.

They are one of the must-have toys this holiday season-the life-like hamsters called Zhu Zhu pets are zooming off the shelves. A concerned parent said, "As much as they may want it, You know, I gotta side on the side of safety and you know they're gonna have to pass on it."

The 'Good Guide' Consumer Advocacy Group says one of these hamsters-- is unsafe. The character known as Mr. Squiggles, carries high amounts of the potentially poisonous metal - antimony. Dara O'Rourke with GoodGuide said, "which is a metal which has potential health hazards related to it. Which if ingested in high enough levels can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards."

Antimony is often found in toys, but the government limits it to 60 parts per million. Testers for good guide say when they used an x-ray test, they found up to 103 parts per million in Mr. squiggles. Parent Diana Cordeo said, "That would certainly change my decision for getting it." Parent Ejesh Berdyyev said, "It's a horrible toy. I don't want my daughter to play with it."

But a renowned toxicologist we spoke with said those levels of antimony are far too low to cause any short or long term health problems. And another consumer group says the maker of the toys uses a different test that actually shows how much antimony will come off the toy - and that test, not the x ray, is the industry standard. O'Rourke said, "We're not recommending that you throw them away. But if you're concerned about it then we recommend that you call the company or potentially return the product if you feel it's not safe enough for your kids."

Cepia Corporation, the maker of Zhu Zhu pets - released this statement: " Our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards. They do not contain high levels of antimony in any way."

I actually had never heard of these things until today. Boy am I out of the loop on this one! My son just keeps asking me for a Nintendo DS.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Mattel sold lead toys

FROM ABC: Toy maker Mattel Inc. and its Fisher-Price subsidiary have agreed to pay a $2.3 million civil penalty for importing and selling toys with excessive levels of lead. The penalty is part of a settlement the companies reached with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced Friday, that the toymaker had knowingly violated a 30-year-old federal ban on lead paint in toys.

The companies deny having willfully violated the ban. The penalty stems from a series of recalls by Mattel and Fisher-Price in 2007, when the companies recalled nearly 2 million popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and other toys because of excessive levels of lead found in the paint on the toys.

Barbie doll accessories and "Sarge" toy cars were also part of the recalls.

The commission says the fine is the biggest for a lead paint violation involving children's toys.

Mattel and Fisher-Price were among dozens of manufacturers that yanked millions of Chinese-made toys from store shelves in the months leading up to the 2007 holiday shopping season. The recalls made parents uneasy as they shopped for gifts for small children.

The Mattel and Fisher-Price fine is the commission's first penalty resulting from those recalls.

"These highly publicized toy recalls helped spur congressional action last year to strengthen CPSC and make even stricter the ban on lead paint on toys," said the commission's acting chairman Thomas Moore. "This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children."

"Today's settlement announcement by the U.S. CPSC resolves Mattel's outstanding issues with the agency related to certain matters that arose in 2007," Mattel said. "Mattel promptly took a series of steps after discovering compliance issues with some of our toys at that time.

"We were able to effectively minimize any potential concerns by launching a fast-track recall of the affected product in conjunction with the CPSC and other global regulatory agencies, and by taking several steps to enhance our product compliance protocols and procedures to confirm that every Mattel toy is safe for children to enjoy," Mattel said. Fisher-Price referred calls to Mattel.

Mattel, based in El Segundo, Calif., has not had any lead paint recalls since the 2007 cases, which spurred congressional action and a new law last summer — called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act — that restricts the amount of lead allowed in children's products.

Lead poisoning in children can cause neurological damage, delayed mental and physical development, learning deficiencies, and other problems.

In case you don't already know, it is solely up to the toy manufacturers to make sure there is no lead in toys before they go on store shelves. The Consumer Product Safety Commission randomly tests toys AFTER they are sold to unsuspecting parents. So be extra careful when picking up toys for kids who are teething. Several teethers have been found to have excessive amounts of lead. It's a scary thought. Obviously, these are big toy names so don't assume a name brand is safe either. I had some teethers tested with an XRF machine last year. That's really the only way to make sure there's no lead paint on the toys. The machine costs $25,000-$30,000, so it's not likely something parents will have! Yikes! I can't believe I have to go through this again with a new baby coming in September!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Lead Paint on Toys

Great News! If you live in the Peoria area, HOI 19 News is offering a FREE toy safety check next week, February 26th from 3:30-6:30p.m. at Ridgeview Elementary School (off Radnor Road in Peoria). You have to sign up to attend because the company (Oxford Instruments) testing the toys will only be in town for a few hours. I tried to get them to stay longer, but they are doing this for free and are coming from Chicago. So, I totally understand where they are coming from. The company will be using an XRF machine to test the toys. That is what the Consumer Product Safety Commission uses to screen toys it has labeled as suspicious.

I also had a long conversation today with someone at the CPSC and an interview with a local pubic health department nurse. I have a one-year-old, so I have been having an issue with determining how to keep him safe from lead. He puts just about everything in his mouth! This has been a very eye-opening investigation. The report will air on Monday, February 25th (my son's birthday) at 10p.m. I will, of course, post the story on this site and put it on You Tube sometime after that.

If you want to get some of your child's toys tested ( I am picking a few of my son's favorites) go to HOI News and click on Toy Test.
It's in an orange box on the top. Again, space is very limited and I am nervous we will have to turn people away. So, please sign up early if you want to come.

Please send me any questions you have about lead in toys and I will make sure I include those answers on-line.

By the way, Toys 'R' Us just released it is increasing testing for lead paint and phthalates in its toys.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Ty Refuses Lead Toy recall

Here's the latest from the Associated Press:

Ty Incorporated is refusing to pull a popular, but lead-tainted, doll from store shelves across the state. Illinois authorities thought they'd agreed with Ty to have the company voluntarily remove its Jammin' Jenna dolls from retail shelves because the toys contained high amounts of lead.

Westmont-based Ty is best known for its Beanie Babies. The company says it would no longer sell new versions of Jammin' Jenna to Illinois retailers. But the state says the company is refusing to recall dolls already in stores and some remain on store shelves.

Now the state is considering suing Ty to force the company to comply with state law. Representatives of Ty say it's not violating the law because federal rules have higher lead limits, and supersede the state provisions.

If you have one of these dolls and want more information, the Chicago Tribune has a lengthy article on the potential lawsuit.

Lead can be very dangerous to kids. Kids growing bodies absorb more lead and their brains and central nervous system are more sensitive to the effects. If your child ingests a large amount of lead, it can harm their brain function, change their behavior, slow their growth and cause learning problems. Lead poisoning has also been associated with hearing problems and headaches.

If you are worried your child may have lead poisoning, you can have a simple blood test performed at your pediatrician's office or the public health department.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Dangerous Toys

Here's the latest story on dangerous toys you may have bought for the holidays. I added some helpful links.

A string of massive recalls have parents on high alert and now there are multiple lists out there warning parents about potentially hazardous toys this holiday season. If you're confused by this overload of toy safety information, you're not alone. CNN's Greg Hunter has more on the toy safety debacle.

Toys with things that pop out, powerful magnets that stick together and potentially harmful chemicals are just a few toys on store shelves that one non profit organization says parents should avoid buying.The Jack Sparrow Spinning Dagger is one.W.A.T.C.H.(World Against Toys that cause Harm) says it can cause eye injuries and the potential for blunt injuries. W.A.T.C.H. was founded by trial lawyers 35 years ago to warn parents about things like possible choking hazards.

If a toys fits through a toilet paper roll, it is too small for kids under two.

Mattel's "Go Diego Go Animal Rescue Boat" It's the only toy on W.A.T.C.H.'S 10 worst toys list to be recalled and it was done by Mattel itself after,"an extensive investigation." Five other companies on W.A.T.C.H.'s list told CNN their products "meet federal safety standards."

W.A.T.C.H. isn't the only grouping checking safety. Linda Reinsten lost her husband to an asbestos related illness and founded the non profit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
It recently did testing on holiday toys and found asbestos dust on the C.S.I.
Fingerprint Kit.

The manufacturer, "Planet Toys" says "these kits do not contain asbestos."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says non government groups that put out independent warnings only confuse people. The watch dog groups insists parents need more safety information. The CPSC says it's supporting a plan by the toy association to create an independent third party certification system for toys. This plan is being considered now, but so far, there's no indication on when or if it will be implemented.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen