Yes. You read that correctly. I did say Lead Exposure from Children's Clothing.  And if you are like me and have a child with an unconscious habit of chewing on the sleeves of her clothes then you may be freaking out right now. How could this be possible? How does something as dangerous as potentially lead laden children's clothing get on the racks? And why would a buyer for a store purchase an item like this to be marketed?

To my dear friend, Melissa, I say "THANK YOU!" She called me immediately after she made a shocking discovery in the aisles of a local discount store. She knew she had to tell someone and she is spreading the word to everyone she meets. She called me, knowing that, one, I would be shocked and, two, I have a platform to reach moms who are looking for deals and may be ready to purchase these inexpensive items unaware of the possible threat to their child's health!

First, a question: When purchasing clothing how often do you look at the inside tags? I have to admit that when I am searching tags it is usually the cardboard tags on the outside of clothing. The only time I would check a tag on the inside of a garment would be if I wanted to double check the size or check the washing instructions.  I would say that that is only ten percent (or less!) of the time though. The majority of the time all the information I care about is printed on the outer cardboard tag (that's size and price). Am I the only one? I don't think so. Everyone I've talked to has said that they rarely check the inner tags of the clothing that their kids wear. That's one of the reasons Melissa's find is that much more incredible and a MUST share for anyone who is purchasing children's clothing.

So that you know:

Here is what the CDC has to say about lead exposure.  According the Mayo Clinic the following are symptoms of increased exposure to lead:

Symptoms in children:
Irritability, Loss of appetite, Weight loss, Sluggishness and fatigue, Abdominal pain, Vomiting, Constipation, Learning difficulties

Symptoms in newborns:
Babies who are exposed to lead before birth may experience: Learning difficulties, Slowed growth

Symptoms in adults:
Although children are primarily at risk, lead poisoning is also dangerous for adults. Signs and symptoms in adults may include: High blood pressure, Declines in mental functioning, Pain or numbness and/or tingling of extremities, Muscular weakness, Headache, Abdominal Pain, Memory loss, Mood disorders, Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm, Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women

double check tags on 2B REAL clothing made in China!

click photo to enlarge

The dress on the left is "safe". The dress on the right "may contain lead".