Daughter lead poisoning?

[James1983]

Hi everyone,

About 8 months ago, I put up these shelves in my daughter's bedroom:

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90282180/

And then about six months ago, I took a couple of them off their steel mounting/shelf support (long story) but left the mounting nailed into the wall, thinking I'd take it down some other time. We ended up having a pretty stressful few months and I totally forgot to go back to it, so the shelf support remained on the wall exposed. A couple of months later my daughter started complaining of a metallic taste in her mouth and occasionally woke up with stomach pains. We took her to the doctor and they couldn't find anything (although they didn't test for lead poisoning), and she has settled down since, although crucially still complains occasionally of these symptoms.

Anyway, I was in her room earlier and it occurred to me that perhaps these black shelf supports/wall mountings (which are steel) had been painted with a lead-based paint. Is this possible, and even if so could it have been poisoning my daughter? I've since taken them down, and contacted IKEA who were unhelpful (person over the phone told me she didn't know what the paint was and couldn't find out... great). Is it worth getting my daughter tested for lead poisoning? Because my wife thinks I'm being insane and irrational and that there's no way the steel mounting was painted with a lead paint, but I guess I'd just like some reassurance, as I know lead poisoning in children can be disastrous.

Thanks in advance.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

As far as I am aware lead is banned from use in paints in this country. A Google will check that easily enough. However, they will most probably be from China, and it is not unknown for regs to be flouted. That said, Ikea is big and you'd expect them to get it right. As far as lead goes, as far as I know you need a fair bit to cause symptoms, so unless she has been licking the brackets or eating the paint it is unlikely to be the cause.

 

[joe-90]

Someone needs treatment for paranoia.

 

[securespark]

That's just downright unkind.

 

[securespark]

Just because Ikea is big, don't trust them to get it right.

OK, this is in the US, but they had a recall on these mattresses:

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/IKEA-Recalls-Crib-Mattresses-Fire-Hazard/

 

[EddieM]

Hi everyone,

About 8 months ago, I put up these shelves in my daughter's bedroom:

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90282180/

And then about six months ago, I took a couple of them off their steel mounting/shelf support (long story) but left the mounting nailed into the wall, thinking I'd take it down some other time. We ended up having a pretty stressful few months and I totally forgot to go back to it, so the shelf support remained on the wall exposed. A couple of months later my daughter started complaining of a metallic taste in her mouth and occasionally woke up with stomach pains. We took her to the doctor and they couldn't find anything (although they didn't test for lead poisoning), and she has settled down since, although crucially still complains occasionally of these symptoms.

Anyway, I was in her room earlier and it occurred to me that perhaps these black shelf supports/wall mountings (which are steel) had been painted with a lead-based paint. Is this possible, and even if so could it have been poisoning my daughter? I've since taken them down, and contacted IKEA who were unhelpful (person over the phone told me she didn't know what the paint was and couldn't find out... great). Is it worth getting my daughter tested for lead poisoning? Because my wife thinks I'm being insane and irrational and that there's no way the steel mounting was painted with a lead paint, but I guess I'd just like some reassurance, as I know lead poisoning in children can be disastrous.

Thanks in advance.

Could give a long answer.. but suffice to say there is absolutely no chance on earth the brackets have caused lead poisoning. Whats maybe a little concerning is that you nailed them to the wall.. that's.... unusual!

 

[noseall]

We can work with lead all day, and sometimes for two days on the trot. No gloves. Hands covered in grey patina. Nuffink.
As Joe said, sound like you are reaching a wee bit here.

 

[sooey]

There's plenty of old plumbers (proper lead bashers) who ended up dying of lead poisoning. But they were exposed to it for years on end. Eating their sarnies up on a roof with lead all over their hands and such like.
Lead atoms are heavy and don't get removed from the body easily, so they accumulate over time.
So don't be eating stuff with your hands covered in grey patina, come to think of it that probably explains most of your posts.

 

[AronSearle]

That's just downright unkind.

Cmon though, unless the kids been licking the shelf brackets its more that a little silly.

 

[longdogs]

As previously suggested: If they were painted in lead paint they would only be dangerous if she was chewing or licking them.

 

[Newboy]

Because my wife thinks I'm being insane and irrational

Listen to your wife!

 

[bernardgreen]

We can work with lead all day, and sometimes for two days on the trot. No gloves. Hands covered in grey patina. Nuffink.

Plum crazy

 

[Brigadier]

We can work with lead all day, and sometimes for two days on the trot. No gloves. Hands covered in grey patina. Nuffink.

Hell of a risk, for a bit of scrap

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

We can work with lead all day, and sometimes for two days on the trot. No gloves. Hands covered in grey patina. Nuffink.

Lead takes time to act, slowly causing mental retardation. Have you, erm, no, never mind, it was just a thought.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

We can work with lead all day, and sometimes for two days on the trot. No gloves. Hands covered in grey patina. Nuffink.

Plum crazy

Madness can be cured with electric currants (sic).

It's plumb crazy. A plumb is a measure of straightness, so absolutely straight, absolutely crazy.