Whether it is for the holidays, a birthday or anytime in-between, parents in Montana will be digging out their gift lists in preparation to bargain hunt the presents they want to get for their family and friends. Though most shoppers will do their best to ensure that the gifts they buy are safe to use, products can routinely be recalled because they defective or unsafe.

Take for example children’s toys. Most parents may not know this, but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 30 percent of childhood lead poisoning cases are due to lead that is used in toys and children’s jewelry. So, yes children’s toys that contain lead are unsafe toys.

In fact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that about four million consumer products such as children’s toys have been recalled due to excessive level of lead in them. An overwhelming majority of such items are manufactured outside the U.S. and then imported into the country, and in many cases the country of origin is China.

Lead is known to cause lead poisoning in children and can affect a child’s normal brain development and result in neurological, systemic and cardiovascular problems. Severe case of lead poisoning can even cause death. It is important for consumers to be aware of what they are purchasing and if the item is unsafe for use. For those individuals who suspect that a loved one or they have suffered harm due to a defective or unsafe consumer product, they may want to have the facts scrutinized by a product liability law firm.

Source: WebMD, “Lead in Toys: Could It Be Lurking In Your Home?,” Annabelle Robertson, Accessed Sept. 14, 2015