Some of the biggest toy recalls in U.S. history have had to do with toys that concealed toxic ingestion hazards, most notably, the ingestion of lead through paint toys were coated with.  As one toy giant after another, from Fisher Price to Mattel, recalled large volumes of toys, doctors advised worried parents to get their children's blood lead levels checked.  Most of the toxic toys were manufactured outside the U.S., where standards of lead paint exposure to children are not as stringently maintained as they are in the U.S. However, it is the responsibility of toy makers to ensure their products do not contain unsafe chemical levels.

Lead Poisoning

Lead ingestion usually occurs when younger children put toys that have been painted with toxic lead paint into their mouths. Children below the age of two are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning through oral ingestion, because of their tendency to put things in their mouths.  Lead poisoning through toys is not a one time occurrence where a child can ingest large quantities of lead through sucking on a toy. Rather, it’s a slow process of accumulation in which a small amount of exposure over a period of weeks and months leads to a rise in lead levels in the blood.  A child with a high level of lead in their blood may not show any noticeable outward symptoms of toxicity, although the amount may be sufficient to cause long term brain damage to children in the form of low IQ development and delay in developmental milestones.  Lead poisoning is a particularly acute problem in young children because their gastrointestinal systems absorb lead more readily than adult systems do. 

Phthalates

Pronounced "thal-ates," phthalates are a group of hazardous chemicals known to cause genital abnormalities, hormonal imbalances and other reproductive  defects in male children exposed to them for long periods of time.  These chemicals are often added to plastics to give them a softer, smoother and more appealing feel.  Common infant products that include phthalates are teething rings, baby rattlers, pacifiers, bottle nipples, and talcum powder.  These can enter the body when the child places toys in his mouth, and can interfere with sperm production in male children, leading to decreased levels of testosterone, as well as malformed genitals.  The dangers are strong enough that pregnant women are advised to keep away from air fresheners, cosmetics and other products that contain phthalates because exposure can cause reproductive system abnormalities in a male fetus.