WASHINGTON D.C. -- The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission warned Wednesday that there is a potential risk of lead exposure from baby bibs with cracked or peeling vinyl surfaces.

The consumer alert applies only to used bibs that are worn or have deteriorated, officials said. However, if the condition of a vinyl bib deteriorates to the point that a baby could pull or bite off and swallow a piece of vinyl containing lead, then the amounts of lead consumed could approach levels of concern.

The bibs were sold in packages of two or seven bibs and come in colorful designs sometime with Sesame Street characters printed on them and were sold from June of 2004 to March of 2007. They range in price from $2 to $7.

CPSC staff is advising parents and caregivers to stop using vinyl bibs in such condition. In the CPSC staff's view, this step could effectively prevent any significant risk of exposure to lead from these products.

CPSC takes the issue of lead exposure very seriously, as lead is toxic and if ingested by young children can cause adverse health effects, such as learning disabilities, behavioral problems, growth retardation and hearing problems. There have been no reported injuries involving these bibs.

For more information go to the CPSC's Web site, which includes a link to testing results.