Big Rex Books Recall Over Lead Poisoning Concern
A lead poisoning recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) involving about 204,000 “Big Rex and Friends” cloth books from St. Martin’s Press, LLC of New York. The books were sold at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Borders and Toys “R” Us from May 2004 through October 2009 and bear the following ISBN numbers: 031249260X or 9780312492601.
The books have a red plastic dot sewn into them that contains 20 times more lead than is considered safe for children’s toys, according to USPIRG, who alerted the CPSC of the books’ lead content. Lead poisoning in children can be devastating or even deadly. Consumers should take the books away from children immediately and contact St. Martin’s Press for a refund.
Complications related to lead poisoning
- Decreased bone and muscle growth
- Hearing damage
- Learning disabilities—can be severe
- Nervous system damage
- Kidney damage
- Poor muscle coordination
- Behavior and speech problems
- Coma, convulsions and other neurological problems
Lead poisoning prevention
Test your child’s blood lead level at age 1 and 2 and children up to the age of six should be tested if they never have been if:
- They regularly visit or live in a home built prior to 1950
- They live in or visit a home build prior to 1978 that has recent or ongoing renovations
- They have close contact with other children who have or had lead poisoning.
