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Beware the Teddy
Bear
Teddy Bears and Dollies Eyes are
Not Usually Thought of as Dangerous
A Teddy bear nearly killed a pet dog which
attacked it – was it self defence?
According to a caller to the Lead Advisory
Service, the dog chewed on the Teddy bear, which was innocently sitting
around. However, the dog appears to have got its comeuppance when it
suffered a severe case of lead poisoning which nearly killed it.
The Teddy was stuffed with lead pellets.
Why would anyone fill a Teddy with a belly-full of lead? You may well ask.
According to the caller, "the bears can be plopped at any angle -
that's why they use lead pellets". The caller also highlighted the
danger to children. Though some doctors believe that small lead objects,
such as sinkers and pellets pass straight through the intestinal tract,
several documented cases of lead poisoning of children testify to the fact
that they don’t. Lead objects sit in the gut and the blood lead level
continues to rise until the object is surgically removed.
As the caller said, "Babies suck
things ….. there are child-safe plastic beads which ….. are non-toxic.
The LEAD Group called for any such bears
found for sale to be reported to Customs, and questioned how these bears
could have been allowed for sale in Australia.
The Lead Advisory Service have also heard
about lead fishing weights being used as doll's "sleep eyes".
Apparently it’s ingestible if the doll's head, which is made of porcelain,
breaks open. According to a doll-making teacher, these would only be used in
antique dolls, of which she estimated there would be 50 to 100 in the world.
The moral of the story – take the lead
from the Ted.
Living safely with lead – tips
for dogs
Do not chew on Teddy bears filled with
lead pellets.
Do not dig in contaminated soil.
Find an alternative kennel when neighbours start renovating.
If your humans are planning to move to a
mining or smelting community, follow the NHMRC guidelines, and if your blood
lead exceeds 25 µg/dL and "if exposure control is not possible,
consider relocation".
For more information on leaded product
recalls, go to lead
poisoning hazard consumer product recalls
New Publications from the Lead
Reference Centre (LRC)
See Lead Advisory Service News vol 1 no 1,
1997 for a full list of LRC publications. New publications which have been
issued in the first 3 months of '98 are:
- - Fact sheet: Lead
in ceiling dust
- - Fact sheet: Lead safe house keeping
- - Fact sheet: Old lead paint
- - Booklet: A guide for parents and
families
All LRC publications are available from
the Better Health Centre of the NSW Health Dept. (Phone (02) 9954 1193, Fax
(02) 9955 5196).
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