# Concerns with plastic toys in baby's mouth?



## babygirlsmama (Dec 3, 2009)

Now that my daughter is 4 1/2 months old, she is starting to put everything in her mouth. We have tried to get mostly organic or natural type toys for her, but needless to say, we were given tons of those inexpensive, plastic, made in China type toys. You know, the ones you get at Target or whereever.... it seems like they have very little information about whether they may contain unsafe ingredients. I seem to remember a friend's baby testing positive for unsafe lead levels because she loved to chew on her toys....but those were mainly dress-up jewelry type toys in that case. I'm talking more about infant rings, teethers, etc.

So, now that dd is sucking, gnawing on everything....I am having concerns about these toys. Does anyone know whether there are any real concerns to be had? I am considering putting them all way and making sure all she has are the natural type ones, or ones otherwise labeled safe. Even then, not sure what labels to look for. Help, please! Thanks!


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

Well, you could get some do-it-yourself lead tests to test the toys, but those aren't always very accurate. DS's grandma tends to send him lots of cheap, plastic toys. If he absolutely LOVES the toy, I might let him play with it for a few days or a week. But, then it's out of our house (usually to Goodwill, though I feel a tinge of guilt knowing that some other young child will end up with it). Maybe that's overzealous. But, it works for us. DS likes his untreated wood toys, and usually just ends taking out all of our pots and pans for "cooking" during play time anyway! He's almost 2, so he doesn't seem to notice when things go "missing." I'm not sure how we'll handle it when he's old enough to remember the battery powered light-up obnoxious toy he got for Christmas...


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## bluebirdiemama (May 2, 2008)

We've been implementing the smell test. If it smells like chemicals, it goes straight into the trash. Anything else gets washed really well and then chewed to my baby's sweet little heart's desire. With my first I was super concerned about everything in our toys, but now with my second I'm realizing that probably no matter what I choose to give my kids they will be exposed to some harmful components. I just do my best now and try try try not to stress.

Plus... all this "natural" "organic" and "BPA PVC free" stuff.... I think is just riding a "buzz of concern wave" and is probably all full of gross stuff.
ie, at my local grocery store I have to check all the "organic" stuff now to make sure it doesn't have genetically modified ingredients in it! I guess I think it's the same kinda thing with toys/such now too


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## mama2soren (Feb 12, 2009)

I thought that "certified organic" foods were not made with GMOs?


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Anecdotally, we let dd chew on pretty much anything she wanted, including a number of MIC plastic toys, we live in a 1926 apartment that I personally tested and found to have lead, and let her crawl around in the grass in a yard facing onto a busy street (meaning that area had been exposed to leaded-gasolines back when they had them), and her lead levels were fine.

Obviously, given the other thread about elevated lead levels, there's some variation, but I wouldn't worry about a plastic toy here and there. Nurse a lot, get out in the sun, get vitamin C and iron.


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## BathrobeGoddess (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mama2soren* 
I thought that "certified organic" foods were not made with GMOs?

Yeah..but the USDA only requires 95% organic ingredients to be used to use the USDA organic symbol but GMO foods aren't required to be labeled as so either. There is no way to know if GMO is being used or not unless it is 100% organic from reading the label. I read labels and see what isn't 100% organic and if it is soy, corn or wheat that doesn't say organic, I skip the product.

I let my kids have some plastic toys. Just as important at BPA free labeling is the type of plastic. I wouldn't let my children have anything #7 or PVC, regardless of labeling. Also, lots of the recalled toys have been painted wood. I am just as fearful of wood toys made in China becasue of possible lead content.


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