Some jewelry purchased from Rainbow and 5-7-9 retail stores last month contains high levels of lead – even pieces marked “lead-free,” according to the Center for Environmental Health. A heart pendant intended for adults was 97% lead, and a clasp on a piece labeled “Kids” and “Lead Free” was 87% lead.
The metal is extremely toxic, especially to young children, and kids have died after swallowing lead-containing jewelry. Children exposed to high levels of lead can also develop anemia, stomachache, muscle weakness, and brain damage. Experts are increasingly coming to the conclusion that there is no safe level of lead exposure for pregnant women and young children.
In adults, lead can increase blood pressure and cause infertility, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, irritability and concentration and memory problems.
The CEH tests jewelry purchased from retailers across California for lead, and is funded through a state grant. Fifteen different jewelry pieces from Rainbow and 5-7-9 stores tested with lead levels between 57% and 97%, and this is the fourth time the CEH has found the stores in violation of laws against lead in jewelry in just over a year.
Cases of pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” have reached epidemic levels in California, and experts are saying the state is on track to suffer the most illness and death from the disease in 50 years. “We’re really on course to see a large number of cases,” says Eileen Yamada, M.D., with the state’s Department of Public Health.
I have a few friends whose children are approaching what I like to call the “orthodontic years,” those years somewhere between ages 9 and 13 where the dentist often suggests that you have a visit with an orthodontist to make sure your darling’s teeth line up like little soldiers. After hearing stories from me and from other parents who’ve weathered a round or two of traditional braces, these pals wondered whether those nifty-looking Invisalign devices would work for their kids.
My daughter graduated from high school yesterday, and we’re knee-deep in preparations for her college send-off in the fall. One of the items on my long checklist is checking into her health insurance coverage. Where previously (in our state, at least) she would probably
If you’re giving liquid Vitamin D supplements to your baby (the American Academy of pediatrics recommends a dose of 400 IU per day for breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants), be careful to get the dose correct. Too much could cause nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, pain – and even kidney damage.
We love them (especially on Father’s Day, which is Sunday), but men just don’t live as long as women. They ignore symptoms, won’t go to the doctor – you know the drill. Here’s a bit of info from the Men’s Health Network on the checkups and screenings men need to stay healthy.
