PSA: Keys contain lead; don't let babies play with them.

[Nora'sMama]

I was reading a thread on LWAB yesterday and someone mentioned in passing about her baby playing with keys...I have heard other people mention this as well...but keys are a big lead hazard, even if keys aren't typically the first thing you think of when you think of lead sources. I first saw a warning about babies and keys on a lead hazards poster and then I Googled to find more info. Now I am very careful to keep the keys away from her and I even try and rinse my hands after handling keys. Here are a couple of links detailing the danger.

http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/p...ysen011804.pdf

www.oralchelation.net/data/EDTA/data14an.htm

Or you can just Google "lead keys".

Doesn't it suck that we have to be so vigilant with our children's environment? Sometimes it seems like nothing is safe for them to mouth and explore. :

Anyway, I hope that this is helpful to someone.

[Autumn Breeze]

wow. Thanks.

[MommaMoo]

Jeez...my babe loves playing with keys. I can't believe I've been exposing him to lead this whole time
Thanks for the info!

[hottmama]

That is so scary! I've always let my babe play with keys, too!

[kmama]

Always glad to get such good info. So many things I would never have thought of on my own!

But I do have to admit thinking, oh great, one more thing I know about (and thus feel a need to act on!) :

"Once you know, you never not know"

[kate~mom]

omg - i had no idea!

[mamalisa]

Wow, I had no idea.

[curlyfry]

Oh great...she loves keys!! Now I have to go find some "baby keys" that aren't big plastic pieces of junk...

Thanks.

[brmama3]

Thanks for the info. I let my older two play with keys at the grocery store when they were little, now I feel horrible.

[tallviviana]

Woah..thanks for the info. I let my son play with my keys all the time!

[counterGOPI]

wow!! thank you!!!!!!!!!! i had no clue!! holy cow!!
do they make wooden keys? i mean for my dd to play with..not for me to use.

[Oka-san]

Wow, that is helpful info, although DD won’t think so. My keys are (or, um, were) just about her favorite toy. She’s not going to like watching me lock the front door and going down to the car as much when she can’t play with mama’s keys during the little trip! But thanks for the heads up. You’re right, it’s so hard to make sure they’re safe all the time, but every little piece of info helps!

[leximom]

now I'm gonna be all paranoid that she has lead poisoning

[Joannarachel]

Dammit. M loves my keys.

I think I'm going to call his ped for a lead test

[katies_mama]

That stinks. Better to know, though--thanks so much.

[wonderwahine]

nice to know this, we havent done it yet, but now i can tell dh not to. i havent thought about handing him my keys to play with since some of our keys are so sharp and i havent wanted him to get hurt, but now this is an even bigger motivating factor to always reach for his little plastic keys.

[nighten]

Yikes!!! Thanks for the heads up!