Saturday, June 28, 2008

By CECELIA OLECK
DETROIT FREE PRESS

last updated: September 02, 2007 05:39:06 AM

Spurred by recent massive recalls of toys sold by Mattel and Fisher-Price, parents across the country are re-evaluating their children's toy collections and purging or returning toys on the lists.

Mattel recalled more than 9 million toys recently in the United States, including Polly Pocket sets, Barbie dolls and Batman figures, and Fisher-Price recalled about 1 million toys in early August in the United States, including Big Bird and Elmo, Dora the Explorer and Diego. Some of the toys were found to be coated with paint that contained lead and others were deemed a hazard because of magnets that could come loose and be swallowed.

But the scope of the problem is making it difficult for parents to know how to protect their kids.

We talked to experts about recall-related issues: tips for being a conscientious consumer, symptoms of lead poisoning and advice when taking away your child's toys. Plus, we offer a resource guide for finding safe toys.

BE CONSCIENTIOUS

Jennifer Gabrish thought she was doing what was best for her children.

When she and her husband began having children -- their sons are 2 years old and 5 months -- they decided to limit how many plastic toys they'd buy, opting to choose items made of wood or other materials when possible.

But that didn't stop her from having to get rid of playthings targeted in recent recalls. Her older son's Thomas & Friends toy trains, made of wood, were recalled in June because they were found to have been coated with paint containing lead.

"We do so much to protect our kids that toys shouldn't be one of the things we need to worry about," says Gabrish, 33, of Dearborn, Mich.

The scope of recent recalls -- about 12 million toys have been recalled by toy makers Mattel, Fisher-Price and RC2 Corp. in the United States since June -- has Gabrish and other parents trying to figure out what's safe for their children.

"Everybody's kind of had to fine-comb through their toy collections," she says.

Here are some tips:

Keep up-to-date. Recalls are announced frequently, even if they don't reach the magnitude of recent ones. Check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site, www.cpsc.gov, for recalled toys and other children's items such as sippy cups and crib bumpers. You also can sign up for e-mail alerts.

Check with your child's day care center, school or other places of frequent play to find out if toys have been checked for problems and whether all recalled toys have been removed.

Consider alternatives. Companies such as online store Arbor Kids (www.arborkids.com), run by Northville, Mich., resident Judy Alexander, offer such old-fashioned toys as puppets, kids' tool boxes and bowling sets made of wood or wool and silk fabrics. Online toy seller Hazelnut Kids (www.hazelnutkids.com), has natural, wooden and organic options. Most wood toys don't pose a threat unless they've been painted with lead paint. You can check with a home lead testing kit.

With many recalled toys having been made in China, consider buying toys made elsewhere.

LEAD CONCERNS

How worried should parents be?

Dr. Frank McGeorge, an emergency room physician at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., tells parents to be watchful but not overly fretful. There have been no reports of injuries associated with the recalled toys. A greater concern is prolonged lead exposure, which can lead to brain damage, kidney failure and other health issues.

Families who live near industrial areas or in homes built before 1978, when lead-based paints were banned for use in housing, should be especially aware of the dangers. But because the effects of lead poisoning build up over time it is still important to get rid of recalled toys.

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