Toy Recall Has Parents Wondering 'What's Next?'

Aug. 14, 2007 — -- Like many new moms, Catherine McNeil enjoyed watching her son as he played with the toys from his first birthday.

That was until she heard about Tuesday's toy recalls and was forced to take away many of the gifts that her son, Asher, received from friends and family.

"As a new mom, it's really frightening," McNeil told ABC News. "You don't want to overact and say, 'No toys for you,' but on the other hand, it's my baby and it's his first birthday and these are his first presents."

The latest recall, issued by Mattel Inc., affects about 9 million Chinese-made toys that contain small magnets or lead paint. Polly Pocket dolls and the "Sarge" car from the movie "Cars" are just a few of the toys on the list of recalled toys.

And this isn't the first toy recall that has caused concern for parents around the country.

Just two weeks ago, Mattel issued a recall for about 1.5 million Chinese-made toys that contained lead paint, including some of the popular Dora the Explorer figurines.

Having leafed through page upon page of recall information and eventually tossing out one of her son's favorite bathtub toys, McNeil said she has no confidence in foreign toy manufacturers.

"China is definitely not high on my list of trusted sources," said McNeil, who is a contributing writer at the Chicago Moms Blog. "I'm going to be a lot pickier now about what I let [my son] play with, whether it's been officially recalled or not."

While the thought of children contracting lead poisoning from their favorite toys may send parents into a frenzy, parenting experts told ABC News that there are ways to protect your kids.

"Parents need to be aware, and rather than freaking out they need to understand what's going on and become as educated as they can," said Alison Rhodes, a child safety expert who's known by many on TV as the Safety Mom. "Get rid of the toys that are on the recall list, and use common sense when you're buying toys. When you see choking hazards and small pieces, just don't buy it."

Chrissy Cianflone, program manager for Safe Kids Worldwide, also suggests logging on to the government's recall Web site, where you can even sign up for e-mail alerts. Parents should be sure to buy only age-appropriate toys, nothing too small for those under 3. And if you have more than one child in the home, store each child's toys separately to prevent accidents.