Baby Development – Groundbreaking Bill Passed to Protect Kids

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Parents and activists rejoice!  The US government has finally passed a new law that will help ensure toys and kids products are safe before they reach the hands of little ones.  In addition, drum roll please, lead is officially banned in all children’s merchandise for good.

After months of deliberation and debate, President George Bush signed the Consumer Safety Improvement Act banning lead, at least anything greater than trace amounts, in any product intended for a child under the age of 12.  This law imposes the most stringent lead standards of anywhere in the world.                          

The bill also partially prohibits phthalates in child-care items and toys.  Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more pliable and have been shown in animal studies to be toxic to developing reproductive systems.  Three other types of controversial chemicals have been banned for good, while 3 others are not allowed to be used until further testing has been performed. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will help enforce the bill as they have been granted the power and the additional resources to police the toy and child-care product industries, including safety regulations for cribs and high chairs.

Previously, the CPSC remained a federal watchdog group with little power other than toy recall implementation. Under the new bill, the CPSC will be able to:

• heavily penalize companies who not follow the law
• oversee and enforce mandatory safety testing of products before they ever leave the manufacturer
• remove unsafe products from shelves faster

What will change
The new bill brings about big change, regulations that have never been put in place before in the United States and certainly a giant step in the right direction.  The CPSC had previously been allowed to remove hazardous toys from store shelves and listen to consumer complaints and concerns, but will now able to monitor the safety of toys and children’s products before reaching the hands of US children.  Although companies were required to comply with federal and industry safety standards, there was no regulating body that tested children’s products or ensured companiesfollowed safety standards.  It seems Congress has finally answered the call of concerned parents.