Environmental Law Attorneys

Are Lead Toys Causing Lead Poisoning Brain Damage?

Profit over people seems to be the mantra of today's corporations. Recently, millions of popular toys have been recalled because they were processed with lead paint. Lead can be extremely dangerous for young children and can affect their lives forever by lowering I.Q., impair language fluency, have trouble paying attention or concentrating, cause memory problems and cause loss of fine motor skills.

Lead may be used in two aspects of toy manufacturing: Lead may be found in the paint on toys. Lead house paint, on products marketed to children, and in dishes or cookware in the United States was banned in 1978; however, it is still widely used in other countries and therefore can still be found on imported toys. The use of lead in plastics has not been banned. When the plastic is exposed to substances such as sunlight, air, and detergents the chemical bond between the lead and plastics breaks down and forms a dust.

Lead poisoning doesn't cause immediate symptoms. A child's rapidly developing brain is highly vulnerable to lead toxicity. Before their second birthday, children are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning. They are more likely than older children to put lead-contaminated hands or toys or paint chips in their mouths. A child's gastrointestinal tract also absorbs lead more readily than does an adult's.

Many of these symptoms don't become evident until age 6 or 7 years old. What a parent might know prior to that might would be common complaints such as speech delay, hyperactivity, not being able to sit/listen/learn in school, and not being able to focus. Those observations may be the result of earlier childhood lead poisoning.

Unfortunately, once a child has absorbed a dangerous amount of lead, there's no quick way to make the lead go away. Chelation can save the life of a child with acute lead poisoning but it doesn't remove all lead from the body. Most ingested lead is stored in the bones and leaches back into the bloodstream -- and brain -- over time.

We might love Dora the Explorer, Curious George, Big Bird & Elmo, Barbie's accessories and all those name brands that children grow up wanting. Do corporations have your children's best interest at heart or your credit cards? Cha-ching!

If you feel as though your child is the victim of toxic exposure to lead toys and has suffered serious brain damage and life coping skills, don't hesitate to contact the experienced toxic injury attorneys at Anapol Schwartz.

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