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Baby Wellness: Lead Poisoning

babysugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:30:30 -0800

When I think of lead poisoning, I think of old paint peeling off the wall. It can actually be a silent enemy. Just yesterday, a family in Utah discovered that their little girl has been affected by lead - not from sucking on a recalled toy, but from plates in their kitchen. And, the scary thing is that the girl wasn't the one eating off of them. Her mother was passing it on to her daughter by breastfeeding. I don't know about you, but I only worried about my food and drink consumption while I was nursing. I'll know better next time.

Lead poisoning can cause nausea, constipation, stomach aches, and headaches in the short term. Long-term effects include behavior, learning, and physical development issues . If you live in an old home that has old paint, it might be a good idea to talk to your pediatrician about testing your child's lead level. I'm taking my own daughter in for her test next week.

The plates were made by Home Trends and were sold at Wal-Mart over three years ago. They do not sell those particular plates anymore, but they still carry the line.

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Mommy Alert! EU Attempts to Make Toys Safer

babysugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:00:21 -0800

Since there were so many toy recalls last year, it's no surprise that actions are being taken to try and outlaw unsafe toys. And, The European Union is at the forefront of the mission.

According to a Reuter's report,

"The European Union's industry chief is proposing a crackdown on toys containing lead paint or carcinogens across the bloc and wants to stop toys being used as gifts in food items such as confectionary and cereals. . . While exact levels for each component have yet to be formally agreed, the source said the move would all but eliminate substances such as lead and nickel from toys, much to the annoyance of industry."

To see what the toy industry's reaction was, read more.

Toy Industries Europe (TIE), which represents toy manufacturers like Hasbro, Mattel, and Hornby, claimed that current standards are acceptable and that proposed changes to those standards need to be backed by scientific evidence.

The proposal also would place restrictions on toys found in foods. In addition to eliminating lead and nickel, the toys would have to be free of perfume and from substances that promote cancer.

The Enterprise Commissioner Guenther Verheugen is said to have his proposals ready for the European Union and their Parliament by January 25.

Do you think legislation like this could ever pass in the US?

Do You Need To Worry About Lead in Lipstick?

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:04:33 -0700

A few of you have written me today, concerned about the claim that lipsticks are laced with lead. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested many lipsticks to detect the presence of lead, which can cause learning, language and behavioral problems as well as infertility. The story's findings:

More than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested (61 percent) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). None of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient.
One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead.

Lipsticks with the highest amounts of detectable lead included L’Oreal Colour Riche in True Red and Classic Wine; Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor in Maximum Red; and Christian Dior Addict in Positive Red. For more on the story, and what you can do about lead in lipstick, read more

To understand what the amount of lead means, it's important to understand how lead works in your body. It accumulates over time, and small amounts of lipstick are ingested through wearing it (for instance, when you bite into a sandwich, lipstick rubs off, and you digest it). As I wrote earlier this week, the FDA does not approve or review the safety of finished cosmetics, only the colorants that go into them. Because lead is a byproduct of the manufacturing process, it doesn't show up on the packaging.

So what can you do to protect yourself? The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is encouraging people to write L'Oreal and insist that it create lead-free lipstick. (Consumers in Europe, where cosmetic regulations are tighter, already have lead-free options. Sucks to be North American, huh?)

Before you go into full-blown panic, though, consider this: Toxic substances surround us every day, and simply living has some risk. Wall paint, for example, is allowed to have 600 parts per million, which is thousands of times higher than the lipstick lead levels. Or consider this: If you eat fish, you're digesting similar levels of another poison, mercury-and since you're actively eating fish, you're ingesting more of it. But it doesn't hurt to be an informed consumer. Some brands, such as Josie Maran Cosmetics, are lead- and paraben-free. On Monday, I'll post my review of the line, so you can see how well natural cosmetics work.

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Lead in Your Lipstick?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:15:00 -0700

In case you haven't heard yet, your lipstick could contain high levels of lead. Why is lead so bad, you might ask? Small amounts of daily lead exposure can add up, and no amount or lead, no matter how small, is considered safe. Lead can affect your nervous system, increase your blood pressure, and can cause anemia. It can also cause damage to the kidneys and the brain. Pregnant women may suffer a miscarriage from lead exposure, and men may experience damage to their sexual organs.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wanted to test lipsticks for lead levels, since small amounts get ingested when you wear them. They collected 33 brand-name lipsticks from four random cities including Boston, Hartford (Connecticut), San Francisco and Minneapolis. So what did they discover? To find out read more

Twenty out of the 33 lipsticks contained detectable amounts of lead, ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). Eleven of the lipsticks tested exceeded the 0.1 ppm amount established by the FDA. Here are the lipsticks to watch out for:

L'Oreal Colour Riche "True Red" - 0.65 ppm
L'Oreal Colour Riche "Classic Wine" - 0.58 ppm
Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red" - 0.56 ppm
Dior Addict "Positive Red" - 0.21 ppm

My good friend Bella told me that the FDA doesn't review or approve cosmetics, only the contents that go into them. Lead isn't intentionally added, it's a byproduct of the manufacturing process.

Fit's Tips: Don't throw your arms up in a panic though. It's possible to find lipsticks that don't contain lead. Look for brands that clearly state they are lead-free such as Josie Maran Cosmetics.

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Avoid the Lead: Cook with Cold Water

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0700

All these years I have been cooking with cold water because I was under the impression (damn you, 5th grade science teacher) that cold water boiled faster than hot water. I have no idea why I was told that, or why I believed it for that matter but I did. The truth is, cold water does not boil faster than warm water, but that is beside the point.

So should we all be cooking with warm water to speed up the process? Think again. Never cook with or consume water from the hot-water tap. This is because hot water dissolves more lead more quickly than cold water, which means you may be consuming more lead than you should be. Houses built before 1986 are the most likely to have lead parts, however even plumbing legally considered lead-free today may contain up to 8 percent lead. While copper pipes replaced lead ones decades ago, fusing pipes with lead was legal until 1991.

Why does it matter? Well, too much lead in the body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system and red blood cells (it's especially bad for pregnant women and children). So the EPA recommends that you do not use water taken from the hot tap for cooking or drinking, and especially not for making baby formula. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat it on the stove. Anytime a faucet hasn't been used for at least six hours, "flush" all the water that has been sitting in the pipes. This could take anywhere from 5 seconds to 2 minutes. When the water stops getting colder, it is "flushed."

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Lead Testing Law: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:00:23 -0800

H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), was passed by Congress last year and requires retailers to test merchandise for lead. This pertains to any item for children 12 and under including toys, clothes and jewelry. It goes into effect on February 10, 2009 and while many parents champion the measure to keep kids safe, opponents are upset that it may put second hand, consignment and independent handmade retailers (which are popular in the current economy) out of business as testing products can be pricey. What's your opinion?

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More Recalls! Wal-mart Baby Bibs Contain LEAD

FitSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Enough with the recalls already. First it was the ReNu contact lens solution, then the pet food, then Listerine, then the olives, then the beef, and now friggin' bibs?!! WTF!

Wal-mart voluntarily recalled baby bibs from its stores in Illinois after the products tested positive for high levels of lead. I'm sorry - isn't lead poisonous to people, especially little babes?

The bibs, made by Hamco Inc., are labeled under the Baby Connection brand name, in packs of 2-7, with embroidered prints or images of Sesame Street characters. The Illinois attorney general’s office identified the bibs as being sold from June 2004 to the end of March this year in Wal-Mart stores throughout the state.

The vinyl material on some of these bibs may contain lead in excess of the limit for Illinois for products intended to be used by children. Of the 60,000 bibs sold, fortunately no injuries have been reported. Check this website for specific types of bibs that are involved in the recall.

Those who purchased the bibs in Illinois can return them to their local Wal-Mart for a full refund or can receive a free replacement by calling (877) 373-3812 between 9 am and 5 pm Central time.

Fit's Tips: Vinyl bibs are great for babies, for easy clean-up, but they add lead to them to make the vinyl softer. I had no idea. I guess we should stick to cloth bibs.

Pampered Pals: Wailea Collar and Lead

PetSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:30:32 -0800

Since we're ramping up for Spring, what better way to do it than adorn our pups – and ourselves – with flowers? I know I'm so over the dark colors and bulky sweaters of Winter, and I think North is pretty happy about it too – since he's far from a snow bunny. Imagine my excitement when I came across the Wailea Collar and Lead Set ($66) seen here from the hip 26 Bars and A Band.

It definitely reminded me of a vacay in the islands, which is a great change from the soggy weather we've been having lately. These suede stitched collars and leads, in either pink or chocolate, are accented with detachable orchids that you can place anywhere. Both to suit your taste, and to make sure one doesn't "accidentally" get too close to your pup's mouth! I've seen a lot of leads in my day, but this is the nicest I've seen made of suede, and I've gotta say, the chic, textured collar would look pretty awesome on Annabelle! Now if only I could make the real Spring flowers bloom sooner . . .

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An Update on Lead in Lipstick

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:00:34 -0800

A lot of you have been concerned about the claim that many lipsticks contain lead, a harmful neurotoxin. The more I researched the issue, the more torn I became. On the one hand, cosmetics would ideally be completely lead-free. On the other, we're all exposed to larger quantities of harmful chemicals in our day-to-day lives; and since people don't generally ingest lipstick except in trace amounts, I decided that the risk was reasonably small.

Now, the New York Times has weighed in, and the results will relieve those of you who have been worried: "Studies have found that lead in lipstick is not a cause for concern, but research is continuing." For now, I think it's safe to keep using lipstick-but if you really want to be on the safe side, try an all-natural brand such as Josie Maran or Sukicolor.

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Venting at Work Is Good For Your Health

SavvySugar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:00:25 -0800

Turns out the strong, silent types at work are only hurting themselves. A new Swedish study of nearly 3,000 men found that the more they bottle up their frustrations at work, the more likely they are to have a heart attack - or even die of one.

Researchers compared "covert coping" methods at work - staying quiet or ignoring a problem and hoping it’ll go away - to "open" methods, like expressing anger or frustration in the moment. Men who used covert coping methods were up to five times more likely to develop heart disease.

The study focused on men, but I think it’s fair to assume that the results would be similar for women. It’s also possible that women are more likely to use open coping methods to begin with. In any case, the moral of the study seems clear: find a constructive way to vent your frustrations at work, whether that means talking to a trusted co-worker, sitting down with your boss, or confronting the source of your stress.

Photo courtesy of AMC