Toxic metal found in baby bottles: 24,000 sippy cups sold nationwide are recalled because they pose a lead-poisoning risk to toddlers
- Bottom of bottles can break off, exposing a lead dot that’s toxic to youngsters
- Some 24,000 products are being recalled owing to concerns over the dot
- They were sold in major stores including Whole Foods, Target and Amazon
Tens of thousands of sippy cups and baby stainless steel baby bottles are being recalled due to fears they could poison children.
The base of these bottles and cups, made by Green Sprouts, can come off and expose a solder dot that contains lead, posing a potential hazard to children.
There have been no reports of injuries yet, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, but there have been seven cases in which the base broke.
Customers are being urged to apply for a full refund on the $14 to $19 bottles which are sold in Target, Wholefoods and Amazon.
High levels of lead exposure in children can cause irreversible brain damage, comas, convulsions and even death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
‘Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with intellectual disability and behavioral disorders,’ the agency says.
Pictured above are the three bottle types that are being recalled by Green Sprouts, sold for around $14 to $19 each. Customers are being urged to return the bottles or throw them away and apply for a full refund
Lead exposure in children is often difficult to observe, with no immediate symptoms.
But if there is suspicion a child has been exposed, then parents should talk to their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood test.
Lead is more harmful to children under six years old because their body is still developing.
Children:
– Damage to the brain and nervous system;
– Slowed growth and development;
– Learning and behavior problems;
– Hearing and speech problems.
This can lead to:
– Lowered IQ;
– Decreased ability to pay attention;
– Underperformance in school.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Around 24,000 products sold nationwide are affected, the North Carolina-based company Green Sprouts said in a release.
Affected products include a stainless steel sippy cup, a stainless steel sippy cup with a straw, and a stainless steel straw bottle.
Bottles were colored aqua, green, pink or navy, and with a capacity of either six- or eight-ounces for about $14 to $19.
The lead-containing solder dots sparking the recall are used in the bottles to create a vacuum between the internal and external layers.
Green Sprouts said they were not picked up by testing because they are ‘inaccessible under normal use’.
The products were also sold at Buy Buy Baby, Bed Bath and Beyond, Drugstore and babyhaven.com between January 2020 to September this year.
Customers are being urged to throw away the bottom of the bottles, but continue to use the plastic parts. They can apply to the company for a full refund.
The recall involves bottles with the following tracking numbers on their base: 29218V06985, 35719V06985, and 33020V06985.
Green Sprouts said in a statement: ‘Had we been aware that a component containing lead in these products could become accessible, we wouldn’t have put them on the market.
‘Now that we know, we are voluntarily recalling these products.’
They added: ‘As we approach the redesign of these products… we will ensure that lead is not used as a soldering material, no matter whether it would be accessible.’
Green Sprouts has been contacted by DailyMail.com for comment.
All bottles for babies are tested in labs approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) before sale.
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