More than 6,000 sets of children's fleece jackets and shirts with Disney characters are being recalled by retail giant Target. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Disney fleece sets sold at Target have zippers with unacceptable levels of lead.

According to government safety experts and consumer advocates such as Consumer Reports, excessive blood lead levels or BLL can be extremely harmful to children. Too much lead in a child's blood may lead to anemia, decreased muscle and bone growth, hearing damage, learning disabilities, nervous system and kidney damage, speech, language, and behavior problems, and brain damage.

Earlier this year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention lowered the limits of children's BLL to 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood. But even with the new lower lead limits about 450,000 children age one to five years old have high blood lead levels.

Consumer Reports safety and health experts offer advice and Ratings on home lead testing kits. For other safety tips, see How to reduce your child's lead exposure.

According to the CPSC, consumers should take away the recalled fleece sets from children and return them to Target for a full refund.

Consumers can also contact the children's wear importer, Children's Apparel Network (toll-free: 800-919-1917 website: www.childrensapparelnetwork.com), for more information.

Sources:
Children's Apparel Network Recalls Fleece Hoodie and T-Shirt Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard [CPSC]
Recall alert [Children's Apparel Network]