Parents should know dangers of lead poisoning
In February 2006, 4-year-old Jarnell Brown went to a Minneapolis hospital. His vomiting led to a diagnosis of viral gastroenteritis, and he was treated and released. He came back two days later, still vomiting, listless and dehydrated, and was admitted. The next day Jarnell went into respiratory arrest. Hospital staff resuscitated him and he was placed on a ventilator. By the next day, he was clinically brain dead. Four days after he was hospitalized, Jarnell was taken off life support and he died. Jarnell Brown died from lead poisoning. Before he died, tests showed a foreign object in his stomach. The discovery that he had a blood-lead level 18 times higher than the lowest level considered lead-poisoned in children came too late to save him. During the autopsy, a heart-shaped charm was removed from his stomach. Most cases of lead poisoning occur because children are living in older homes that have deteriorated lead-based paint. The St. Joseph County Health Department's lead program staff visits dozens of homes a year, looking for lead-based paint hazards and providing advice on remediation options. However, it is also important to look at other potential sources of lead in a child's environment, including furniture, toys and jewelry. A steady stream of recalls of products that are potential lead hazards has been made by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the past few years. In February, five recalls for lead were announced: One was for boys' jackets because the snaps had too much lead; the other four were recalls of children's bracelets, rings and necklaces. The vast amount of jewelry that has been recalled is almost too much to comprehend. In 2004, the CPSC issued a recall for 150 million pieces of vending machine jewelry because some of the jewelry contained dangerous amounts of lead. In 2006, more than 2 million pieces of jewelry, nearly all manufactured in China, were recalled because of their lead content. Often this leaded jewelry is sold at dollar stores. However, parents need to be aware that jewelry isn't lead-free just because it is more expensive or bought at a higher-end store. The jewelry recalls in 2006 included: American Girl jewelry that sold for $8-$12; Liz Claiborne Juicy Couture jewelry that sold in department stores for $95; and charms that came with Shirley Temple DVD box sets that sold for $15-$30. Stores such as Kmart, Big Lots, Toys 'R Us, Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart and Disney Resorts have all been identified as places that have sold recalled jewelry. The heart-shaped charm that killed Jarnell Brown was a free gift with purchase of Reebok shoes, which retailed for $33-$50. The St. Joseph County Health Department urges parents to be aware of this problem and do the following: -Give children only age- appropriate jewelry, and make sure younger children do not have access to older siblings' jewelry. -If your child regularly puts non-food items into his or her mouth, do not allow access to jewelry he or she can suck on or accidentally swallow. -Check the CPSC Web site (www.cpsc.gov) for lead-related jewelry recalls. -Test jewelry for lead. You can buy home lead test kits in stores or online. Also, the health department can test jewelry for free. -When you go shopping, ask retailers if they have any documentation showing that the children's jewelry they sell is lead-free. -Have children who are younger than 7 tested for their blood-lead levels. The CPSC is considering a ban on children's jewelry that contains more than .06 percent of total lead. In January, the agency issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking about lead in children's jewelry, to solicit comments about a potential ban. The ANPR can be found online at . Comments are due to the agency by March 12. After Jarnell Brown died, a variety of the Reebok charms was purchased to test lead content. The one taken from Jarnell was 99.1 percent lead. Other charms ranged from .004 percent to 67 percent lead. In the Centers for Disease Control's morbidity and mortality weekly report about Jarnell's death, the authors noted: "As the variation in lead content in these products indicates, alternatives to lead are available. Restriction or elimination of nonessential uses of lead in consumer products should be part of a proactive strategy that prevents exposure to these products and is preferable to relying on case finding to identify lead exposure hazards." There is no need for children's jewelry manufacturers to be crafting these items out of a known poison. Locally, the health department has found at least one case in which a child's lead poisoning was likely caused by exposure to a keychain charm, purchased outside Indiana, which tested positive for lead. We are working with the Indiana State Department of Health and the CPSC to determine the charm's lead content and whether a recall is warranted. We urge parents to be aware of the issue. Leaded children's jewelry is a real problem. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact the health department's lead program at (574) 235-9582. Dr. Roland Chamblee is the health officer for the St. Joseph County Health Department. Rebekah Waechter is the department's lead program coordinator.