Program will test toys for presence of lead
Health dept. invites parents, caregivers to seek assistance
BY PATRICIA YOCZIS Correspondent
Young children love brightly colored toys, but often these toys may contain hidden health hazards such as lead.

To assist parents and caregivers of children, the Monmouth County Health Department and the Lead Coalition of Monmouth and Ocean Counties have launched a leaded toy information and education program that will be held at various sites.

"The goal of the free program is to educate parents and child caregivers about the source of lead in toys and to help them identify recalled toys," said Karen DeMarco, assistant public health coordinator of the Monmouth County Department of Health. "Participants may bring three toys and assistance will be available on how to properly return or dispose of the toy if recalled."

The format of the program, she said, will be a health fair with participants directed to various stations such as educational videos, reference materials in English and Spanish, and computer stations to review toy recall lists. There will also be a display and information on a variety of other sources of lead poisoning, plus a lead testing station for children under 6 years old who have no health insurance. Free nutritional refreshments will be provided, too.

"While lead may make colors brighter it is not acceptable in toys," said DeMarco, who is the mother of an 18-month-old son, Gabriel. "There are safe toys out there. You have to be aware of the stage a child is in, such as mouthing everything, and look carefully at the toy, including all the painted surfaces."

DeMarco, who has a master's degree in public health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey, said that while lead-based paint has been banned in the United States since 1978, other countries where toys or toy parts are made may not have such a ban.

"Children, especially infants, are very susceptible lead poisoning, even small amounts of lead dust," she said. "That's why it's so important to have infants and children tested for lead levels in their blood."

DeMarco said there are no definitive symptoms of early lead poisoning in children. Warning signs may include gastric upset, sleep problems, irritability, weakness and loss of recently learned skills. Any unusual symptoms of any kind should be reported to a doctor, she stressed.

"We do know that untreated lead poisoning in children can damage the brain, nervous system, kidneys and the reproductive system," she said. "Severe cases may lead to convulsions, coma and death. A simple finger prick blood test is the best diagnosis and steps can be taken to minimize or eliminate the threat."

While leaded toys will be the focus of the program, DeMarco said lead poisoning can come from a variety of sources. The major source of lead poisoning in children, she said, is ingested chips of lead-based paint from the inside and outside of homes built before 1978. Other sources include lead pipes and solder in plumbing, jewelry, glazed pottery, some herbal and home medicinal remedies, soil and even food products such as candy.

"The United States started a phasedown of lead in gasoline in 1973 with completion set for 1980," she said. "The exhaust fumes of leaded gas settled lead particles on the soil and gradually the vegetation, including food products, absorbed the lead. Lead is in the soil, especially near well-traveled roads. Local and imported food products may contain high levels of lead, especially from areas near refineries or factories."

The impetus for the leaded toy program, DeMarco said, was the 2007 toy recalls. The Lead Coalition, which consists of individuals or corporations interested in volunteering to prevent lead poisoning, wanted to take some action. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission Internet Web site www.cpsc.gov (1-800-638-2772) was chosen for the program's toy recalls.

"The message of this program is that lead poisoning can be prevented," said Beatriz Oesterheld, coordinator of the Lead Coalition for six counties. "You may not be able to prevent a cold, but you can prevent lead poisoning."

Oesterheld, a Freehold Township resident, said that since the inception of the Lead Coalition five years ago, its outreach screening and education program has reached numerous children. New Jersey law requires children to be tested for lead levels twice before the age of 5, she said.

According to DeMarco, approximately 35 trained Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers from the Monmouth County Health Department coordinated by Lisa Lee and the Manalapan Health Department under the auspices of health officer David Richardson will assist with the program. MRC volunteers are trained medical and non-medical citizens who respond to assist in times of emergencies and promote healthy lifestyles throughout the year.

The sites for the free leaded toy information and education program are:

• Feb.25, Salvation Army, 605 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park, 3-7 p.m.

• Feb. 26, Cullen Center, 1778 Union Ave. Hazlet, 3-7 p.m.

• Feb. 27, Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, 3-7 p.m.

• Feb. 28, Lakewood Library, 301 Lexington Avenue, Lakewood, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Feb. 29, St. Rose Parish Center, 12 Throckmorton St. Freehold, 3 -7 p.m.

• March 6, Eastern Branch Monmouth County Library, 1001 Rt. 35 north, Shrewsbury, 2-5 p.m.

For further information call the Monmouth County Health Department at (732) 431-7456 or (732) 363-5400.