There have been a lot of recent news stories of lead and cadmium in children’s jewelry, so I thought it was time to revisit this old post from several years ago. I’m steering clear of any metal jewelry for kids, just in case.
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Today’s mothers and fathers are faced with a list of safety concerns that seems to grow daily. We hear frightening stories about children locked in hot cars, razor blades on playground equipment, and pedophiles hunting children playing Pokemon Go. Whether it is moldy sippy cups or recalled toys, many of these dangers are hard to spot until an incident happens- and sadly it’s too late.
Our fears can be overwhelming, because we obviously want the best. While it’s easy to panic and worry about the unknown, we need to take a deep breath and look at what we can personally do to make the world safer for our kids to avoid accidents. Thankfully, we can address one common and surprising health hazard lurking in our homes before they become a problem: our children’s jewelry.
Most parents easily notice the obvious strangulation concerns, but children’s jewelry harbors some hidden hazards that many of us have never considered. By taking a closer look at these seemingly “innocuous” items, we can learn some simple ways to ensure our kids’ safety.
Listed below is a compilation of 4 shocking ways children’s jewelry can be dangerous:
Children are potentially exposed to toxic metals. Unfortunately, a lot of the raw materials and metals used to create our child’s treasured jewelry are loaded with harmful substances. Children’s jewelry often consists of heavy metals to keep production costs down and provide inexpensive products for consumers. This finds dangerous amounts of lead, antimony, cadmium, and barium coming into contact with our kids’ largest organ, their skin. In some cases, tested jewelry was found to have over 300 times the recommended amount of lead which resulted in a massive recall of over 180 million items of jewelry intended for kids.
Some jewelry can cause allergies. Alongside toxic metals, many jewelry pieces are comprised of nickel. Unfortunately, many people are sensitive or allergic to this cheap metal which can cause contact dermatitis and painful rashes to develop in areas that have contact with jewelry.
Sharp edges can scratch a child. It’s no secret that our children have delicate skin and occasionally jewelry like rings or earring posts can easily cause painful lacerations. These scratches can become infected or introduce germs and foreign materials into a child’s body.
Children can easily swallow tiny, harmful pieces. The shiny charms, clasps, and jewels on our children’s jewelry often can break away. This results in children easily choking or ingesting harmful substances into their small bodies. In addition, we need to closely look at the magnetic closures many jewelry items now feature to make it easier for tiny hands to wear or remove pieces. If multiple magnets are swallowed, they can wreak unspeakable damage deep inside the body.
The Do’s and Dont’s of Children’s Jewelry Safety
Realizing that our children’s jewelry can cause serious health issues is unnerving. Especially, when we consider the many times our sons and daughters have placed jewelry in their mouths or wore their favorites for days on end. After all, these pieces are manufactured and geared for children, but it is virtually impossible to tell if jewelry is laced with toxic or dangerous materials just by looking at it’s outward appearance.
To empower parents everywhere, we have created a simple list of safety tips to avoid accidents:
- DO encourage children to wash their hands thoroughly after coming into contact with jewelry.
- DO get rid of metal jewelry that cost less than ten dollars and was manufactured in China, because these are typically the most toxic offenders for children’s jewelry.
- DON’T forget to remove the jewelry before they take a nap or go to sleep.
- DO clean out jewelry boxes and toy chests for older items that would probably not pass today’s safety standards.
- DON’T purchase children’s jewelry that uses batteries or magnets.
- DO supervise children while they are wearing jewelry.
- DON’T forget that costume or adult jewelry can pose similar hazards for children.
- DO buy merchandise from trustworthy and eco-friendly suppliers.
- DO look for baby or child earrings featuring screw-backs to prevent loss and potential choking hazards.
- DO question retailers about the quality of product before buying jewelry for children.
- DON’T forget to check out the list of recalled items on the CPSC web site
Hilary Smith has parlayed her love of technology and parenting into a freelance writing career. As a journalist, she specializes in covering the challenges of parenting in the digital age. She loves all things tech and hasn’t met a gadget that didn’t spark her interest. She also writes parental articles on things like this one, featured here. The Texas native currently resides in Chicago, IL and braves the winters with her two children, ages 4 and 7.