I took The Big-Eyed Boy for a toy-shopping trip at the PX earlier this week only to find the toy section crammed with workers busily emptying the shelves. Until then, it hadn’t dawned on me just how enormous the Mattel Toy Fisher-Price recall was until I saw those bare shelves.
Nearly 1 million plastic toys in the U.S. is no small matter, nor are the concerns about protecting children from lead paint, the toxic substance believed to have been used by Chinese manufacturers of the toys.
As I guided my son to another aisle, I passed a woman there with her own kids. She looked as harried as I felt, and nodded toward the clerks pulling boxes of toys from the shelves. “Do they have any idea what kind of a meltdown my kid would have if I took Elmo away from him?” she whined.
She hurried on before I could ask her if she had any idea how much of a meltdown she would have were her kid to get lead poisoning from his beloved Elmo toy and suddenly needed bouts of chelation therapy to save his life.
Sure, her son looked healthy enough but then again Amanda Taylor hadn’t exhibited any signs of lead poisoning when her parents took her in for her routine immunizations. As part of a new protocol, Amanda was given a finger stick blood test to screen for lead. Ordinarily, a count over 10 is serious, while 70 is life-threatening. Amanda’s was 136, and a subsequent x-ray showed lead paint chips in her intestines.
The toddler ended up receiving repeated injections, a much painful process than oral EDTA chelation.
Taylor said her daughter received shots in her thighs every four hours around the clock for six days.
“The medicine they injected is very thick, so it wasn’t like when you get a shot that’s over in a second,” (Amanda’s mother) said. “They actually had to put the needle in and plunge it and it took a bit, and it hurt.
“The first time, it only took one nurse and me to do it. By about the third time, it took four of us to hold her down with all our might. It was rough on everyone to have to do it.”
Although Amanda’s lead levels are now down to 25, she continues to be tested every three months. Her parents have to work closely with a nutritionist to make sure she gets the calcium she needs. They constantly have to monitor her for anemia as well since any form of chelation therapy — including oral chelation — works by binding lead and other metals to dietary iron so the toxins are excreted through the urine.
Amanda continues having trouble sleeping, and her parents say she’s exhibiting aggressive behavior, throwing tantrums and showing both behavioral and social delays — all due to lead poisoning in her system. She’s facing a lifelong struggle, in part because lead remains in bones and tissues even after it’s been removed from the blood.
Just how long she and her parents will be dealing with these problems isn’t clear, but one thing’s for certain: a momentary meltdown over an Elmo doll would’ve been far more simple to deal with.
Kind of makes me wish I could’ve clocked that woman while I had the chance.
Friday, August 3rd, 2007, 7:18 pm | 
Idiots Bite, Parenting Bites | 
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August 3, 2007 at 8:43 pm
You would have thought companies would have learned not to use lead paint after the Tinman death from the Wizard of Oz. Yes, yes, that was body paint, but it was still a good measure of how dangerous lead is to humans.
I’ve got to wonder though, what about older children or young adults? The article mentioned testing up to the age of 5, but what about a 16 year old or older? Are they at risk or is the lead found in house paint not nearly as deadly as you get older?
August 3, 2007 at 9:06 pm
That’s what happens when multi-national corporations move their factory work to what essentially amounts to a 3rd World Nation (its fast growing economy notwithstanding). This is, what, the 3rd such dangerous product/foodstuff mess from China in less than a year?
August 3, 2007 at 8:51 pm
“Young children under the age of six are especially vulnerable to lead’s harmful health effects, because their brains and central nervous system are still being formed.” (Link) Apparently it takes a “significantly greater” amount of exposure for adults.
August 4, 2007 at 1:27 pm
You know, I had heard about the recall and didn’t really think much about it.
Then, I received an email from a friend with a link to the recalled items.
Guess what? We had one of the recalled toys and Cara LOVED it. Since it was a hand-me-down, I seriously doubt that it was made within the recall dates, but I’m not willing to chance it.
Scary, scary stuff.
August 4, 2007 at 1:28 pm
I forgot to add that we chunked the offending Grover in the trash.
August 4, 2007 at 4:48 pm
There is also a Thomas wooden train recall going on, that from what I’ve seen hasn’t gotten much press.
Here is the link:
http://recall.rc2.com/recalls_Wood_0607.html
I have a small pile of red trains on my desk to be returned – the company wants to provide replacements and a free gift, and will also reimburse for shipping.
My 4 year old was less than pleased when he found me rummaging through his toy box this AM, but once I explained to him that the trains “needed to go to The Works” to be re-painted”, he was fine.
But as Kate saiys, he could scream all day and I still wouldn’t give the trains back to him.
August 4, 2007 at 11:29 pm
I agree… Ignorant people amaze me.
Maybe you should have clocked her!
August 5, 2007 at 11:55 am
The Thomas company, RC2, is horrible at getting their act together. I gathered up our Thomas items on the list even though my son is far past sticking things in his mouth, and when they sent back replacements, one was missing.
This after we bought a brand new set in the box and *it* came with a piece missing too. Bleargh.
August 5, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Steve – It’s not so much that the company moved their production to a ’3rd world country’, as it is the company moved their production to an offshore source without any oversight in the process whatsoever. Although I am not in the toy industry…it IS why I live in China…to keep oversight on product my company makes, so we don’t have re-calls such as this. The trend has been for companies to reduce their expat exposure to many countries (we are expensive!), but, this is often the result of those budget cutting exercises.
August 6, 2007 at 7:47 am
To be honest, there are times I wonder if the “Made in China” scare isn’t something new. Why “all of the sudden” does just about every week bring a new scare — or were there flawed products getting through before that we just didn’t hear about.
I’ll go find my tinfoil hat now, thanks.