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High Lead and Low Iron
What You Need to Know to Keep Your Baby Safe
By Kelly Burgess
When the news broke about the recalls of toys made in China due to violations of lead paint standards, parents everywhere got cold chills.
"I got scared, very scared," says Brigitte Rudman of Ramsey, N.J. "I was glad there were no Dora products in my house. I even got rid of some toys that weren't on the list but that I was unsure of as they were hand-me-downs from family. I also had Addi's [lead] levels checked and she was in the range she should be at 11 months."
It's easy to breathe a sigh of relief and be glad that, maybe, your kid has dodged the bullet. But, in fact, your child may have lead levels that most experts say are unacceptable. Complicating matters may be your baby's iron levels, which, if they're too low, may raise their tendency to absorb lead from the environment. This is a problem, say experts, that's not as simple to solve as taking a recalled toy back to the store for a refund.
The harmful side effects caused by exposure to lead have been known since ancient times. While today it's rare to find an acute case of lead poisoning, chronic exposure can cause behavioral and neurological problems in both children and adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Where the CDC and many researchers into lead exposure part ways is in the CDC's official stance on what lead blood levels should cause concern. The CDC says a blood lead level greater than 10 µg/dl (micrograms per deciliter) is considered a level of concern. At that level, the CDC says, a child can experience developmental issues as well as decreases in IQ, hearing and growth. But the CDC also makes this acknowledgment: Recent studies suggest that adverse health effects exist in children at blood lead levels less than10 µg/dl.
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