Firstly, lead can be deadly. Any crack or chip in the surface can release lead into the air. Even if you "stick the cart away until he's grown"....adults are just as susceptible to the horrors of lead as are children. Pregnant women are at high risk in regards to the unborn child.

I personally, would not take that chance....but having
said that, you can check out this video.

http://video.bobvila.com/m/21319815/encapsulating-lead-paint.htm

good luck.

You know Katharine, looking again at the photo....the paint is already cracked and chipped.
TOSS IT. Get a new, similar cart and paint it with a safe no lead, low/no VOC paint.

i have coated items with lead paint with a couple of coats of wax, like briwax or mylands. i think the peel-y chipping parts are the real danger to kids ( i have two children myself). the wax seals it up and gives it a nice sheen. warning - if you're pregnant don't apply the wax yourself - get a friend or your partner to do it for you.
be sure and research lead yourself before you make the decision to keep the cart in your home.

Honestly, that thing looks so industrial you might just want to give it another gooood scrub with a degreaser (dish soap). I could have been exposed to lead and it's not in the paint.

If it would make you feel better, a shot of spray-on matte poly would seal it without changing the look a great deal.

Katharine,

I used to be a lead inspector for the health dept. The children with high BLL's (blood lead levels) are usually exposed because of old windows. When opened and closed repeatedly, the friction causes lead dust to fall on the floor or windowsill, where crawling and toddling kids come in contact with it. Lead is also sweet which makes them more likely to consume it. This is a cart that is easily put in a place out of reach (such as a closet or spare room) while the child is at that age, I would suggest until they are 3 and can be taught "don't touch, this is dangerous". Encapsulating it might work as well, depending on how loose the paint finish is on the cart. I would do that as a secondary, added precaution though, and just keep it out of reach for awhile. Cleaning it thoroughly is also a good idea, but that is definitely a job for someone other than you, since you are pregnant.

It's a cool cart, I wouldn't get rid of it or significantly alter it just because of a little lead paint.

Thank you, claudira, voice of well-informed reason.

Anything painted before 1977ish is likely to have lead paint.
If you love the cart itself, send it out to be powder coated. The powder coat company will sand blast away the old paint and apply a powder coat finish which is a very durable heat set finish for metal.

Home tests are not that accurate. Get it checked out professionally to make sure, but that might be too pricey... I have no idea how much, make some calls.

I agree with Debralle. Get it sandblasted and repainted or powdercoated a funky color or whatever you like.

Add me to the votes hoping you *don't* sandblast it or repaint it. Then it'd just be a rather awkward-looking metal cart, instead of a grotesquely-yellow cart that's so ugly it's cute, especially with the uneven stencils. If there's anyway to save that patina, I'd say go for it.

Although... what, exactly, might have been in the cart, originally? You said a "faint" trace of lead. Is there any chance that this is a residue from previous contents kept in the cart? Perhaps have someone else give it a really good scrubbing and then test it again?

I would think that painting it with several coats of an OIL-based polyurethane would seal everything in and keep paint from flaking off in the future. I would consider getting new wheels though - who knows what those have rolled through over time.

Paint it with something heavy duty, like exterior-grade enamel or an elastomeric. Lead paint is only truly a danger if it flakes off, and kids usually pick it up from the carpet/floor while crawling around. If you coat it really well in a few thin layers, you shouldn't have a problem. Just don't let your baby lick it. :)

As long as the paint stays intact it should be fine. I would have someone clean it really well for you to get any loose bits of paint off and then coat it with several layers of clear polyurethane.

The only area of the cart I would be particularly concerned with are the wheels since that's a friction point where paint can continuously wear off. So, if the wheels are painted maybe you take them off or make sure they are cleaned really well. Even so, as long as your not rolling it from one end of your house to the other regularly you're probably okay there too.

I almost bought this same cart! I checked it out at TINI LA, and opted out. I kept wondering about "the cart that could have been". It looks great in your space.

I second the suggestion to wash it- if it was outside or exposed to car exhaust for many years, it could just be residue that might wash off.

Lead when inhaled is easily expelled by the lungs. The real danger like the lead inspector said is from consumption. As long as your child is not licking the cart, touching it and then placing their hands in their mouth, it should be okay to have in the household.