Advisory re Creative Zen product,
After I downloaded update for said product, said product malfunctioned.

Candy and Childhood Lead Exposure
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/candy.htm
The potential for children to be exposed to lead from candy imported from Mexico has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue warnings on the availability of lead-contaminated candy and to develop tighter guidelines for
manufacturers, importers, and distributors of imported candy.

Lead has been found in some consumer candies imported from Mexico. Certain candy ingredients such as chili powder and tamarind may be a source of lead exposure. Lead sometimes gets into the candy when processes such as drying, storing, and grinding the ingredients are done improperly.Also, lead has been found in the wrappers of some imported candies. The ink of these plastic or paper wrappers may contain lead that leaches into the candy.

How to tell if your candy contains lead
You can tell for sure only by having the candy tested in a laboratory. If you have reason to suspect that you may have consumed lead in candy, see a healthcare provider for a blood test.

How to get more information about lead in candy
The FDA advises that parents, care providers, and others not allow children or pregnant women to eat candy imported from Mexico at this time. More information and advisories on lead in candy can be obtained from the FDA at www.fda.gov or
1-888-463-6332.



Lead in food and consumer products:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/FAQs.htm

*

NEW: Artificial Turf
*

Candy
*

Ceramicware (coming soon)
*

Folk Medicine
*

NEW: Sindoor Alert
*

Toy Jewelry
*

Toys



Last updated: 07/08/2008



Post Christmas Toy Safety Checklist
Some ideas about how to check your kid's toys for safety . . .

*All children's jewelry is highly suspect! Get rid of any jewelry that is not: sterling silver, ceramic beads, or gold.

Children have died from acute lead poisoning in cheap trinket jewelry

*Check healthytoys.org for the specific brand and toy type if it was made in China. Many well known brands (such as Melissa and Doug) have unsafe levels of lead and other toxins.

*If your girls received any children's makeup, check out the Environmental Working Group's Safe Cosmetic database. They've put together another great guide to safer cosmetics. Lisa at Enviroblogsums it up for busy, sleep deprived parents:

"Cosmetic ingredients to avoid:

DMDM hydantoin & Imidazolidinyl urea

Methylchloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone

Fragrance and dyes

Parabens or -paraben

Triethanolamine

Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate

Triclosan & triclocarban



Cosmetic products to avoid:

Anti-aging creams with lactic, glycolic, AHA and BHA acids

Hair dyes with ammonia, peroxide, p-phenylenediamine, diaminobenzene, and all dark permanent hair dyes

Liquid hand soaps with Triclosan, aka Antibacterial hand soaps

Nail polish & removers with fermaldehyde

Skin lighteners with hydraquinone"


*Buy a lead test kit at your local hardware store if you can't find any information on healthtoys.org.


Tips to Prevent Lead Exposure
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/tips.htm
Lead poisoning is entirely preventable. The key is stopping children from coming into contact with lead and treating

children who have been poisoned by lead.

The goal is to prevent lead exposure to children before they are harmed. There are many ways parents can reduce a child’s exposure to lead. The key is stopping children from coming into contact with lead. Lead hazards in a child’s environment
must be identified and controlled or removed safely.

Lead-based paint is the major source of exposure for lead in U.S. children. All houses built before 1978 are likely to contain some lead-based paint. However, it is the deterioration of this paint that causes a problem. You should determine
the construction year of the house or the dwelling where the child may spend a large amount of time (e.g., grandparents or daycare). In housing built before 1978, assume that the paint has lead unless tests show otherwise.

*

Talk to your state or local health department about testing paint and dust from your home for lead.

* Make sure your child does not have access to peeling paint or chewable surfaces painted with lead-based paint.

* Pregnant women and children should not be present in housing built before 1978 that is undergoing renovation. They should not participate in activities that disturb old paint or in cleaning up paint debris after work is completed.

* Create barriers between living/play areas and lead sources. Until environmental clean-up is completed, parents should clean and isolate all sources of lead. They should close and lock doors to keep children away from chipping or peeling paint
on walls. You can also apply temporary barriers such as contact paper or duct tape, to cover holes in walls or to block children’s access to other sources of lead.

*

Regularly wash children’s hands and toys. Hands and toys can become contaminated from household dust or exterior soil. Both are known lead sources.

*

Regularly wet-mop floors and wet-wipe window components. Because household dust is a major source of lead, parents should wet-mop floors and wet-wipe horizontal surfaces every 2-3 weeks. Windowsills and wells can contain high levels of
leaded dust. They should be kept clean. If feasible, windows should be shut to prevent abrasion of painted surfaces or opened from the top sash.

* Prevent children from playing in bare soil; if possible, provide them with sandboxes. Parents should plant grass on areas of bare soil or cover the soil with grass seed, mulch, or wood chips, if possible. Until the bare soil is covered,
parents should move play areas away from bare soil and away from the sides of the house. If using a sandbox, parents should also cover the box when not in use to prevent cats from using it as a litter box. That will help protect children from
exposure to animal waste.


To further reduce a child’s exposure from non-residential paint sources:

*

avoid using traditional home remedies and cosmetics that may contain lead;
*

avoid eating candies imported from Mexico;
*

avoid using containers, cookware, or tableware to store or cook foods or liquids that are not shown to be lead free;
*

remove recalled toys and toy jewelry immediately from children. Check Lead Recalls lists.
*

use only cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking, and for making baby formula (Hot water is more likely to

contain higher levels of lead. Most of the lead in household water usually comes from the plumbing in your house, not from

the local water supply.);
*

shower and change clothes after finishing a task that involves working with lead-based products such as stain glass work, bullet making, or using a firing range.



Last updated: 08/31/2007


Toy Jewelry and Childhood Lead Exposure
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/jewelry.htm
If swallowed or put in the mouth, lead jewelry is hazardous to children. In 2003, a 4-year-old child swallowed a piece of jewelry bought from a vending machine. The child became ill because the jewelry was made of lead. The potential for children
to be exposed to lead from this source caused the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue on July 8, 2004, a recall of 150 million pieces of metal toy jewelry sold widely in vending machines.

In 2006, there was a death of a child from acute lead poisoning after ingestion of a heart-shaped metallic charm containing lead. The charm had been attached to a metal bracelet provided as a free gift with the purchase of shoes manufactured by Reebok International Ltd. On March 23, 2006, a voluntary recall of 300,000 heart-shaped charm bracelets was announced by CPSC and Reebok.

What to do if I believe my child has put lead jewelry into his/her mouth
See your health care provider. He or she can perform a blood test to see whether your child has been exposed to lead and if so recommend treatment. Most children with elevated blood lead levels do not have any symptoms. However, there is no safe level of lead in blood. As blood lead levels increase, lead has a larger effect on children’s learning and behavior. A blood lead test is the only way you can tell if your child has an elevated lead level.

Effects of wearing toy jewelry
Just wearing toy jewelry will not cause your child to have a high level of lead in his/her blood. However, small children often put things in their mouth. If you have a small child in your household you should make sure the child does not
have access to jewelry or other items that may contain lead.

How to obtain more information about recalls
The CPSC asks that parents search their children’s toys for metal jewelry and throw it away. Photos of the jewelry and more information on the recall can be obtained from the visting the CPSC website or 1-800-638-2772. The CPSC also has a new
policy addressing lead in children's metal jewelry.