The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff today released its evaluation of various synthetic athletic fields. The evaluation concludes that young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields.
CPSC staff evaluation showed that newer fields had no lead or generally had the lowest lead levels. Although small amounts of lead were detected on the surface of some older fields, none of these tested fields released amounts of lead that would be harmful to children.
Lead is present in the pigments of some synthetic turf products to give the turf its various colors. Staff recognizes that some conditions such as age, weathering, exposure to sunlight, and wear and tear might change the amount of lead that could be released from the turf. As turf is used during athletics or play and exposed over time to sunlight, heat and other weather conditions, the surface of the turf may start to become worn and small particles of the lead-containing synthetic grass fibers might be released. The staff considered in the evaluation that particles on a child’s hand transferred to his/her mouth would be the most likely route of exposure and determined young children would not be at risk.
Childhood obesity is considered to be an epidemic in the United States and a leading group of pediatricians is recommending that children as young as 8 years old be given cholesterol-lowering drugs in hopes of preventing heart problems later in life.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children as young as 2 years old start having their cholesterol levels screened if they have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. Screening should start no later than 10, the academy said.
Some sobbering news that makes the pain even worse for families who lost children in the recent earthquake …
the one child rule that affects Chinese families (although I have heard that couples who lost an only child will be allowed to conceive again if they so desire)
reports that shoddy workmanship led to many building collapses, and claims that much of the poor construction was aided by corrupt inspectors
A new study shows that breastfed children are, on average, 3 to 5 IQ points smarter than children who are fed formula. More at health.come-and-read.com. As well, you may want to view the video I made about this fact.
Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents (that’s a mouthfull !)
Study Objectives: To compare the effects of a single nocturnal dose of buckwheat honey or honey-flavored dextromethorphan (DM) with no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood upper respiratory tract infections.
Design: A survey was administered to parents on 2 consecutive days, first on the day of presentation when no medication had been given the prior evening and then the next day when honey, honey-flavored DM, or no treatment had been given prior to bedtime according to a partially double-blinded randomization scheme.
The study is a bit technical, but readable, and can be read by clicking here.
Two studies in the New England Journal of Medicine from the US and Denmark say that overweight children have more heart problems in later life and there will be more of them in the future.
The Danish study, which tracked more than 250,000 school children in Copenhagen from 1930 to 1976, found overweight boys in particular grew up to have more heart problems.
As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, a new study suggests that the current generation of children will have a shorten life span than their parents. The reason? Higher rates of obesity.
Worldwide, children are becoming overweight at progressively younger ages. In the United States, an estimated 19% of children 6 to 11 years of age are classified as overweight, with a body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) greater than the 95th percentile for their age and sex according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts. Thus, many children are at risk for weight-related orthopedic problems, social stigmatization, and endocrine abnormalities. The epidemic of childhood obesity is of great concern because, in addition to these concurrent effects of obesity, it is likely that excess weight in childhood will adversely affect health in adulthood.
After all the recalls recently, due to lead in paint, you may be wondering why it’s in there in the first place.
Lead has been added to paint for centuries because it is bright, durable, fast-drying, and cheap.
Bright
Various lead compounds provide bright and vivid colours to a paint. In various forms, lead chromate, PbCrO4, provides yellow or orange hues. White lead is a basic carbonate of lead, Pb3(OH)2(CO3)2, and can be used as a white pigment in paint. Pb3O4 is used to make a red coloured paint, often used to coat the bottom of ships since it is anti-corrosive.
Durable
The yellow lines on a highway need to put up with a lot of wear and tear. Lead paints are more durable than other forms of paint. It also resists the color-dimming effects of ultraviolet light. Lead paints stick to surfaces better.
Fast-Drying
Ever wondered how they can paint street lines and allow traffic so soon afterwards?
Cheaper
China mass-produces the stuff, and coloring agents like lead chromate are generally cheaper than organic pigments.
One last point. Lead paints resist mildew, making it perfect for wood furniture and other surfaces likely to get wet.
The following is a list of seven (7) recalls that I was notified about on Thursday.
1. Children’s Metal Jewelry Recalled By WeGlow International Due to
Risk of Lead Exposure
2. Dollar Tree Stores Inc. Recalls Children’s Jewelry Due to Risk of
Lead Exposure
3. Serious Head Injuries Prompt Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats - New
Warnings and Instructions to Be Provided To Consumers
4. Fisher Price Recalls Go Diego Go Boat Toys Due to Violation of Lead
Paint Standard
5. Jo-Ann Stores Expands Recall of Children’s Toy Garden Tools Due to
Violation of Lead in Paint Standard
6. DecoPac Inc. Recalls Football Bobble Head Cake Decorations Due to
Violation of Lead Paint Standard
7. Family Dollar Stores Recalls Halloween Pails Due to Violation of
Lead Paint Standard
Notice that six of the seven were due to lead in paint! I am actually quite surprised (perhaps shocked) that these types of recalls did not happen sooner. For how many years have we been buying toys made in places where safety standards were not in place, or not being followed?
