Kids & family

Lead paint poisoning

Updated: 15 Aug 2007
Lead-paint-poisoning-hero

Need to know

Mattel recently announced a voluntary recall of Fisher-Price character toys due to the level of lead in the paint.

If you are worried that the paint on Mattel toys may have poisoned your children, relax a little. Lead is a cumulative poison rather than an immediate acting poison, so urgent action is unlikely to be needed.

Lead poisoning from paint on toys is relatively uncommon. Children who are most at risk of lead poisoning live in houses more than 60 years old that have been recently repainted - the risk is from the dust generated during painting preparation, and from lead in the soil around the house.

Our advice

  • Check to see if the child has been chewing the paint on the toy. 
  • If there is no obvious chewing of the paint, there should be no reason to worry about your children's health. But make sure you return the toy to Mattel for a refund (contact details below).
  • If a significant amount of the paint has been chewed, take the child or children to the doctor and ask for a blood test.
  • If you happen to be bringing up a family in a house more than 60 years old that has been repainted in the last few years, a check on your children's blood-lead levels is a very sensible precaution. 

Lead-poisoning facts:

  • Children are more susceptible to lead poisoning.
  • Less than 10 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood is generally regarded as not harmful.
  • Most adults have 6-7 micrograms/dl of lead in their blood, accumulated from the environment and from minute traces of lead in food.
  • Up to 15 micrograms/dl there are usually no obvious symptoms.
  • From 15 to 25 micrograms/dl symptoms are not very specific, but may include lack of appetite, sleepiness or aggression.
  • Symptoms become more pronounced as levels rise, and above 50 micrograms/dl, fits or brain damage are increasingly likely. But - even at high levels some show few or no unusual symptoms.

More information