Lead can be extremely harmful to our health. Children and adults are both susceptible to this toxic substance causing adverse effects. But children under the age of six are the most vulnerable to the negative influence of lead. This is because their central nervous system and brain are still under the developmental stage.
There are several ways lead can enter our body. Most of the common for kids is lead poisoning from old lead paints. Another possible way is poisoning from cheap jewelry. Cheap or imitation jewelry may contain significant amount of lead. Kids tend to take everything in their mouth thus making it possible to swallow small pieces.
Children exposed to lead even in low levels are still prone to impaired hearing, stunted growth, attention deficit disorders, and behavioral problems as well as reduced IQ levels.
Lead poisoning at higher levels can cause mental retardation, coma and even death. Several studies have proven that there is a direct link between extreme learning disability and early exposure to lead. Other adverse effects of lead poisoning are fertility problems, increased blood pressure, irritability, joints and muscle pain, and concentration problems leading to memory loss. These are just some of the reasons why you should learn how to avoid poisoning from jewelry.
Most of the time, we buy items that are very inexpensive just to save money. We sometimes think that inexpensive jewelry looks the same as the real expensive jewelry. This comes at a price. The most common problem with extremely inexpensive jewelry is that they are manufactured at low quality and considered to be very dangerous. These should be avoided at all cost especially the ones that have visible solder. Visible solder contains quantities of lead. Always make sure that you buy your jewelry only from reputable sources.
Other types of jewelry to stay away from are the old stocks of pewter jewelry and some types of crystal glass beads. Pewter used to be made from tin with small amounts of other metals such as lead. These days, lead is fortunately no longer used in making pewter jewelries.
Crystal glass beads were mostly made of lead oxide. Lead oxide when added to molten glass provides the necessary sparkle to the resulting crystal glass beads. Most crystals contain up to thirty percent lead. Swarovski and Preciosa are some of the well-known crystal glass makers.
Your children's jewelry should come from a source you trust. There is type of jewelry made just for children. These can be made out of plastic. If you have the means, why not buy your children jewelries made out of precious metals such as sterling silver or gold.
It is very important to know how to avoid lead poisoning from jewelry. Another way is to check the jewelry that you already have at your home. These days, manufacturers can offer you a test kit to check for any lead content at home. These test kits are designed for your jewelry. Most of these testing kits are sold on the Internet. Practicing proper precautionary measures in safeguarding your family from poisoning will save you and your family from serious health problems.
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