Lead and children don't mix. It's as simple as that. Even small amounts of lead can affect a child's ability to learn and increase the risk of behavioral problems.

No wonder parents are concerned about the recent recalls of toys with lead paint. But how serious is the risk of lead-related health effects from these toys?

"There's certainly don't need to panic; this isn't a panic situation" says University of Washington Professor Catherine Karr, an expert on lead poisoning who practices at Harborview Medical Center. "The likelihood of the child actually being poison is actually quite low."

And yet Karr says, if you have the recalled toys and your child is of an age where they put a lot of things in their mouth (including toys and hands), and you feel like it's been going on for a long time - you may want to talk to you doctor.

"I think if someone is concerned the easiest way to get an answer would be to have the child tested and in most situations it's going to be entirely reassuring when they get the results back," she says.

All it takes is a simple blood test which can sometimes be done with just a drop of blood from a finger.

Lead test kits

Some parents might want to test the toys or other products to see if they contain lead.

You can buy lead test kits at your local hardware or home improvement store for under $8. The kits use a solution that reacts to lead by changing color.

This may come as a surprise, but neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend these do-it-yourself tests.

"We're really concerned about false positives and false negatives with some kits," CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson told me.

In its July 2007 issue, Consumer Reports talked about these test kits.

The editors noted that "a negative result does not completely ensure against lead content."

Bottom line: If you feel better using a test kit, that's fine. Just realize that they have limitations. That's why it's so important to stay up-to-date on toy recalls. You can do that by signing up for the CPSC's automated email service.

For More Information:

Health Risks from Toxic Toys Likely Slight

Lead Exposure: Know the Signs