Kids' toys can be dangerous, be on lead alert

NO CHILD'S PLAY: There are dangerous levels of lead in children's toys and paints.

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Keywords: Toys, Lead

Gainesville (Georgia): Few months old Jake Duquette loves to put just about everything in his mouth. Two-and-a-half-year old Taylor is past that stage but the lead toy scare has Joe and Lisa Duquette worried.

So last week, Lisa took them to a free lead testing event in Gainesville Georgia sponsored by safe kids.

Parents brought bags of toys, toys that were not on any recall lists.

A 'negative' nope was a relief but then, Lisa decided to have her toddler's blood screened, just in case.

Lisa found out both her children tested positive for lead. She took them immediately to her pediatrician for complete blood tests.

“I was upset when I found out. These are my babies and if anything can inhibit their intellectual level of any sort it has just kept me distraught,” she said.

The Duquettes live in a brand new house so they are not worried about lead paint but wonder, where is the exposure?

Epidemiologist Anil Mangla gives seminars on what he calls the silent epidemic.

Mangla believes there are many toys containing lead that haven't been discovered yet. And not just toys, pottery, kids jewellery and certain candy from Mexico.

Some have lead in the wrapper and sometimes in the candy itself.

Mangla has advised the Duquettes to wait till the complete blood tests come back.

Nationally, the CDC sets the blood lead level at 10, anything above is considered unsafe.

The Duquette children screened at seven. Is it more of a concern for her because she has smaller children that put things in their mouth? Yes, that's a major concern.

If parents suspect their children may have been exposed to lead, Mangla suggests there's only way to be absolutely sure: Test the children, not the toys.