Children’s Product Lead Hazard. After being alerted to a lead hazard by the Illinois Attorney General, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in collaboration with Clair’s Boutiques Inc., of Hoffman Estates, Illinois just announced a recall of about 67,000 Best Friends Yin Yang Necklaces Sets. The Best Friends Necklace Sets are being recalled over high lead levels exceeding federal standards.
Two sets of the Best Friends Yin Yang necklaces are involved and both have a silver-colored metal bead chain and lobster-claw clasp; one necklace has a single, metal pendant with the word “Best” attached to a black, yin metal pendant and the other has the word “Friends” attached to a white, yang metal pendant. The Best Friends Yin Yang Necklace Sets retailed for about $8 and were sold at Claire’s stores nationwide from April 2007 through August 2008. As with many of the other recalled items on which we have been reporting that exceed federal lead levels, these items were manufactured in China.
Consumers are advised to immediately take the recalled Best Friends Yin Yang Necklaces sets away from children and return them to any Claire’s store for a full refund. For additional information, call Claire’s at (866) 859-9281 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET weekdays or visit the firm’s Website at www.claires.com.
Recall Involves Toy Xylophones
Meanwhile, just yesterday we reported on two other recalls of children’s products over excessive lead levels. About 144 Toy Xylophones that were manufactured in China and imported through the King Import Warehouse of Texas were recalled as were about 2,100 OKK Trading Mini-Televisor Toy TVs which were manufactured in Hong Kong and imported by OKK Trading of Los Angeles, California. Both toys were recalled because the toys surface paint contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
Despite federal lead standards and that many consider lead poisoning to be one of the most important chronic environmental illnesses affecting children today, toys continue to be made with elements that exceed federal standards and that could pose health concerns. Exposure to lead in children and unborn children can cause brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, headaches, mental and physical retardation, and behavioral and other health problems. Lead is also known to cause cancer and reproductive harm and, in adults, lead can damage the nervous system. Once poisoned by lead, no organ system is immune.
Unfortunately, lead poisoning is difficult to recognize because it manifests with subtle symptoms and there are no definitive indicators that point to lead contamination. For instance, children with lead poisoning may experience irritability, sleeplessness or excess lethargy, poor appetite, headaches, abdominal pain with or without vomiting—and generally without diarrhea—constipation, and changes in activity level. A child with lead toxicity might be iron deficient and pale because of anemia and can be either hyperactive or lethargic. There may also be dental indicators such as lead lines on gingival tissue. When faced with peculiar symptoms that do not match any one particular disease, lead poisoning should be considered.
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