Just what is lead poisoning and how will it affect our children? The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a brief overview of lead poisoning in a PDF format at www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/leadpoisoning.pdf.

You can also read the Academy’s position statement on lead poisoning at pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/79/3/457. Keep in mind that this document was written in 1987 and doesn’t address the current toy crisis.

For more “parent-friendly” information, check out the article, /Fischer-Price Toy Recall: What to Do /on WebMD: www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20070802/toy-recall-what-parents-should-know.

Another source of good information is the Environmental Protection Agency. Information about lead poisoning for parents can be found at www.epa.gov/oppt/lead/index.html. There you can read facts about lead and learn the health effects of lead.

To read about recalls by Fischer Price and Mattel, visit their website’s recall page at www.mattel.com/safety/us/. If you click on any of the product categories listed on the bottom right of the page, you’ll be directed to a page that will help you identify whether the toys you own are part of the recall.

If you purchased toys at Target, finding their recall page is a bit harder. First click on Help and then on Product Recalls and Safety Information under the Shopping category. Once there, you can search for your product or click on Product Recalls under Browse Help and you’ll see a list of recalled products.

If you purchased toys at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club, you can find recalled products by clicking on Product Recalls listed under Help on the menu at the very bottom of the page at www.walmart.com.

To read more about these recalls, you can also visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website at www.cpsc.gov. If you click on the Recalls and Product Safety link you’ll surf to a page where you can search recalls by month and year, by product type, by company or by product description. For example, if you search by company, select Fischer-Price from the long, long list of companies. You’ll be directed to a page that includes all Fischer-Price recalls. Likewise you can search by product type and select either toy animals stuffed and not stuffed (is Big Bird a toy animal?), toy balls, toy blocks, toy boats, toy buses, toy cars, toy chests and trunks, toy clowns, toy dolls and accessories, toy guns, toy helicopters and so on.

Lead paint isn’t the only danger our children face from toys. The CPSC offers parent general tips to ensure the toys we buy our children are safe. Check out these tips at:
www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml91/91024.html.

To view a list of additional CPSC Toy Safety publications check out www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/toy_sfy.html.