14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian Health officials are warning parents to dispose of bracelets given out free by the Reebok company when purchasing children's shoes because it poses a severe risk for their health.
According to the officials, "the heart-shaped charm on the bracelet may contain a very high level of lead and pose a risk of lead poisoning to children if sucked, chewed or swallowed."
The bracelet is believed to have caused the death of a 4 year-old child in Minnesota, which died apparently from lead poisoning, after swallowing a piece from one of the bracelet. Jarnell Brown died on February 22 and the autopsy found a blood concentration of lead three times the level considered to be a medical emergency.
The 20 centimeter bracelet was produced in China and is has been distributed with Reebok shoes beginning with May 2004, until March 2006. 6,140 of these bracelets were distributed in Canada and 300,000 in the U.S.
Wearing the object poses no threat, but parents should seek doctor's assistance if their children have been sucking or chewing on it. Reebok began to withdraw their product from the market after this piece of news.
Paul Harrington, president of Reebok, said he and his company were saddened by the death and launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.