theblackalchemist Posted December 17, 2008 Report Share Posted December 17, 2008 Pacifiers may poison your baby NEW DELHI: The next time your baby cries, and you run to give it a pacifier, hold on - you may be giving poison.Popular pacifiersand teethers (teething rings) that may contain toxic metals like lead, are picked up by unsuspecting parents from shopping malls and upscale stores. Most of these are imported from China and other Southeast Asian countries. Scientists say metals like lead, cadmium and chromium, consumed even in small traces through teethers and pacifiers, are hazardous to health, especially for infants and babies. This happens as the hazardous element gets ingested into the body with the baby’s constant sucking over a period. Earlier, Ahmedabad-based organization Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC) conducted tests on eight samples of pacifiers and teethers for migrated elemental lead, cadmium and chromium. What is shocking is that none of the samples tested by CERC were free from harmful metals - lead, cadmium and chromium. The samples were tested as per specifications set by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for safety requirements for toys. Worse still, there are no standards for infant pacifiers and teethers. Experts say pacifiers and teethers cannot be clubbed with other children’s toys, for which specifications exist. Unfortunately, lead is only part of the malaise - examination of toys and other children’s products has revealed several potentially harmful chemicals linked to reproductive problems, learning disabilities, hormone problems, and cancer. Pacifiers may poison your baby-Health/Sci-The Times of India Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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