Holiday recall: Check your Easter baskets

In the better late than never department, the Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced a recall of two different Easter items because they violate the lead paint standard.

The toys—made in China and sold by Hobby Lobby Stores—are Camouflage Easter Eggs and Easter Spinning Egg Tops. The CPSC says about 13,000 toys are affected. Lead exposure can result from mouthing the eggs or handling the eggs and putting contaminated fingers in the mouth. And as we've said before, lead poisoning has been linked to developmental and learning disorders. More than 300,000 children in the U.S. have lead levels high enough to cause irreversible damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Children six and under are most affected. Because lead accumulates in the body; the only way to reduce the risk is to minimize exposure.

The eggs were sold at Hobby Lobby Stores nationwide from January through this month.  The camouflage egg sold for about $2.50 and the spinning top sold for $2. The CPSC advises parents to immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Hobby Lobby  (800-326-7931) to receive a $3 exchange card that can be used toward other Hobby Lobby products.

Note to Easter Bunny helpers: This recall is a good reminder to review any toys destined for Easter baskets to make sure they do not include the recalled goods, do not have sharp edges and are not inappropriate for the age of the child, such as small items that could be choking hazards for children under three. Among those are the hollow chocolate Kinder Surprise eggs we wrote about recently that contain small toys.

News accounts credit the latest recall to a chemistry profressor at Ashland University in Ohio. Jeffrey D. Weidenhamer, who has previously raised warning flags about toxic lead levels in toys and children's jewelry, tested numerous Easter items and found excessive lead levels (above 0.06 parts per million) in several toys. Sadly, this is just one more sign that lead in children's playthings continues to be a serious problem.