There are hidden safety risks when letting children wear silver jewelry!

"He is in the kitchen, with a round purple face, a small felt hat on his head, and a shiny silver collar around his neck."

I believe that many of my friends have a very deep impression of the simple and innocent Runtu created by Mr. Lu Xun, and that shiny silver collar has become his iconic decoration.

Until now, letting children wear silver jewelry is still a tradition in many families in my country, and babies wearing silver bracelets and silver longevity locks are often seen.

There is a rumor that "wearing silver bracelets will make children stupid", which makes many parents who let their children wear silver jewelry sweat. So, does silver bracelets really make children "stupid"? Let's take a look with the editor!

The culprit that makes children " stupid "

The real reason why wearing silver jewelry makes children become "stupid" is not the silver jewelry itself, but the lead metal mixed in the silver jewelry.

Lead is an ancient metal that has been smelted from ores and used since 3000 BC. Lead is stable in nature and has good toughness and ductility, so many manufacturers add lead to improve the flexibility of jewelry during jewelry processing, which not only reduces costs but also makes the jewelry more beautiful.

However, lead is also a heavy metal that is extremely harmful to human health. Once it enters the human body, it easily accumulates in the bone marrow and hematopoietic cells, destroying red blood cells and affecting the functions of organs such as the brain and kidneys. Infants and young children have imperfect metabolic and excretion functions, and more than 30% of the lead metal that enters the body will accumulate in the body.

Lead can cause damage to almost every system of children, but its impact is very hidden. When children show significant clinical symptoms of lead poisoning, their blood lead levels are usually higher than 500ug/L. However, in fact, blood lead levels below 50ug/L can already affect children's neurobehavior, including cognitive ability.

In addition, lead can also cause damage to the human digestive and reproductive systems.

Therefore, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the National Standardization Administration have issued mandatory national standards, stipulating that the lead content in jewelry must be less than one thousandth . However, many babies have the habit of chewing jewelry, and wearing silver jewelry with excessive lead content for a long time will inevitably lead to a greatly increased risk of lead poisoning.

What to do if you have lead poisoning

Although lead poisoning is terrible, in most people's minds, it is a disease that is very far away from us.

Is this really the case?

Studies have shown that when the blood lead level exceeds 100ug/L, although typical lead poisoning symptoms such as abdominal pain and anemia will not appear, it can already have an adverse effect on children's intelligence level and growth and development.

According to a report released by UNICEF in 2020, about 800 million children worldwide have excessive blood lead levels, of which more than 31.23 million are from China. Lead can enter the human body through the digestive tract and respiratory tract. In addition to substandard silver jewelry, paint, coatings, inferior toys, stationery, and even lead dust in the air can all become sources of lead in the human body.

Researchers at the Cincinnati Medical Center in the United States found that children are very sensitive to lead toxicity, and even normal blood lead concentrations may produce strong toxic side effects. Therefore, in our daily lives, we must correctly recognize the hazards of lead, improve our awareness of protection, and develop good hygiene and eating habits (wash hands before meals, cut nails frequently, clean toys and supplies frequently, use wet rags and wet mops at home, etc.), and try to reduce contact with lead.

According to the cause and clinical manifestations, lead poisoning can be divided into acute lead poisoning and chronic lead poisoning. Acute lead poisoning is often caused by a one-time contact or ingestion of large amounts of lead-containing substances, and is mainly manifested by a metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and in severe cases, liver disease and hemolytic anemia may occur. Long-term contact with a low-concentration lead environment may lead to chronic lead poisoning, which is mainly manifested by hyperactivity, inattention, loss of appetite, and children will have symptoms such as intellectual disabilities and developmental delay.

When a child shows symptoms that may be related to lead poisoning, it is important to seek medical attention promptly to avoid delaying the disease and causing serious consequences.

Can I still wear silver bracelets ?

Since silver bracelets that meet national standards will not cause lead poisoning in babies, can they be worn with confidence?

The answer is no.

First, consider the problem of skin allergies. If a child is allergic to silver ions, wearing it close to the skin for a long time may cause severe rashes. Jewelry that is not polished smoothly may also abrade the skin.

Secondly, infants and young children grow quickly, and many accessories will become tight after a while after they are worn. They will compress the limbs for a long time, causing poor blood flow and redness and swelling. If the compression is not relieved in time, it may also cause the risk of amputation.

In addition, silver jewelry is soft in texture, and the small beads, bells and other accessories on it can easily be swallowed by babies, damaging the digestive tract or causing suffocation.

Giving children jewelry to wear is a symbol of the elders’ good wishes for the next generation. If worn improperly, it will not achieve the original intention of “keeping children safe”, but will bring harm to children, or even cause irreversible damage. Therefore, when giving children silver bracelets, parents must be cautious and do not let their good intentions become the culprit that harms their children’s health.

Author: He Zhuolin

Text review: Bo Shuangling

Scientific review: Mao Xinmei, Chief Physician of Pediatrics, Ningxia Children's Hospital